Salvation
by RosesandThorns666
Summary: Donatello has been trying to manage his depression effectively. Trying. But when he finally gets the courage to meet his online friend, his life takes a path that he never imagined it would, and he finds something that he's wished for, for a long time. Warnings inside. Please R&R!
1. Meeting

**Summary:** Donatello has been trying to manage his depression effectively. Trying. But when he finally gets the courage to meet his online friend, his life takes a path that he never imagined it would, and he finds something that he's wished for, for a long time. Warnings inside. Please R&R!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! I'm back! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a fantastic new year. This time you'll be reading about the lovely Donatello, and I'd like to remind you that this is 2K14 verse, and I have to say, he is by far my favourite version of Donnie so far, and I've been a TMNT fan for almost 20 years. This story isn't finished yet. However, I'm seventeen chapters in, and with it being so long since I last uploaded anything, I didn't want to leave it any longer. I will be trying to get the remaining chapters completed this weekend, or over the next week.

For anyone who read the previous fics featuring Raphael, ' _Secrets_ ' and ' _Changes_ ', there is some Raphelia (see what I did there?) art on my DA profile. I've just started my very first sketchdump, which I'm very excited about, so feel free to check that out. My DA name is the same as my pen name on here.

I want to remind you that this first collection of Turtle/OC fics aren't within the same universe, so each OC's story for this first set are individual, and the OCs paths don't cross. However, once I've completed this set, I'll be going onto a fic or two for the movies, and then an OC arc where the OCs are all added in one after the other, rather than being separate.

Now, for **_warnings_**. As a sufferer of **_depression and anxiety_** for ten years, it's been hard for me to write this because I know exactly what it's like to go through what the characters go through in this fic. There will be some dark moments, but there will also be plenty of lovely moments too. There will also be _**mature scenes, and potentially bad language**_ , so be warned... Read at your own risk :P

I hope you enjoy! Happy reading everyone!

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 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter One: Meeting }**

A pair of grey-green eyes gazed upon a familiar, unwelcome reflection from behind large, tape-bound glasses.

Donatello stared at himself. His ugly green scales, his goofy glasses, his nerdy headgear, his horrible, large, awkward, three-fingered hands... Oh, she was going to scream. He had no doubt that he'd get a scream, or at least a recoil of horror and repulsion out of her when she laid eyes on him for the first time. It was better to brace himself for it, so then when it happened, it wouldn't hurt as much, and he'd be able to deal with it in a better way. He continued to look at himself with disdain, and also with anger. Why did he have to look like this? Why couldn't he just be _normal_?

Was he _seriously_ considering sneaking out to go and reveal his true identity to a human girl? A human girl who would probably run in the other direction at the sight of him, no less? Yes, he was, and he deemed himself both rather brave and rather stupid for doing so. He felt the darkness creep into his heart as he glanced at his reflection again, his stomach twisting with the familiar feelings of self-loathing and disappointment.

 _'What would she want a thing like you for, anyway? You big, ugly freak.'_

His eyes slid closed as the negative thoughts gnawed their way into his head. No. _No_! He wasn't going to think this way. He was just going to go and meet her, and then take things from there. If she rejected him, he'd get over it. He'd have to. There was no point worrying too much about it because he knew that he wouldn't be able to change the outcome anyway.

"Okay... You can do this, Donnie." He said to his reflection, letting out a deep, long breath.

He was so nervous... _Oh, God_! Was he sweating?! He'd just showered, too! He'd used a coconut scented body wash, the only one he'd tried that hadn't caused him skin irritation, in order to smell nice for her, and now he was _sweating_?! This had to be one of the scariest things he'd ever done, and he'd faced death on more than one occasion in his nineteen years of life. If he didn't follow through with his agreement, she'd never forgive him, and he couldn't bear the thought of that.

So, he pulled himself together, and stealthily slipped out of his lab under the partially opened shutter, slowly making his way towards one of the exits into the sewer system. There was no sign of anyone else, not even on his thermal scans, which was a relief. The last thing he wanted was to be questioned by his brothers as to where he, of all people, was sneaking off to. Donatello didn't _sneak_. He wasn't dishonest unless he'd been roped into it by the more rebellious of his brothers, Raphael and Michelangelo. If Leonardo caught him sneaking out, there'd be hell to pay, and Leonardo would have to tell their father, Splinter.

That would mean God only knew how many hours in the Hashi. And Donatello was _not_ prepared to go back to the Hashi. Not after the last time. He still winced at the memory of sitting in the splits position for ten hours, while trying to balance books on his head, and that was all because Michelangelo had wanted to go and check out a rooftop party close to April's place.

It wasn't long, however, before he, unfortunately, noticed a familiar presence following him into the tunnels. Rather than pretend to be oblivious, he turned around to face the person in question and he let out a heavy sigh of resignation and irritation. He couldn't do anything of his own. Someone always had to follow him, but he'd much rather it the person in question since they knew how to keep a damn secret.

"I know you're there, Raph." He said quietly, "Why are you following me?"

"Uh, why are _you_ sneaking out?" Raphael asked him in a whisper, meeting his brother's grey-green eyes with his own amber ones, "This ain't like you."

"I'm just... I'm going out for some air."

The urge to face-palm hit him like a tonne of bricks. He was the worst liar, out of all the boys. Even Michelangelo's idiotic excuses for things at least sounded sort of plausible. Donatello just sounded like the least convincing person ever, and he _always_ got found out. He shuffled on the spot like a naughty child as Raphael crossed his bulking arms across his chest, casting the younger turtle an incredulous look, which made Donatello feel even more embarrassed.

"Why do you even try?" Raphael asked him, moving his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other, "You know you suck at lying. So, come on. Be honest."

Donatello knew that there wasn't any point in lying. Raphael was actually more understanding than he appeared to be. He and Donatello were quite close these days. They shared things that they didn't always trust Leonardo or Michelangelo to understand. For example, when Raphael started dating their friend April, Donatello had been there to help him figure out how to break the news to Michelangelo, who was deeply infatuated with April. Then Donatello had helped his big brother and April break the news to everyone else. The youngest turtle sulked for about two days before he got over himself, and Raphael told Donatello that he 'owed him one'. So... Donatello was going to take full advantage of that fact.

"Okay, before I tell you this, you should know that since you owe me, you need to keep this a secret." Donatello said in a hushed voice, "Leo, Mikey and Sensei can't find out until I feel ready to tell them."

"Dude, just tell me." Raphael said, "It can't be _that_ bad."

"I'm meeting a girl." Donatello replied, taking in the way his brother's eyes widened comically, "Her name's Marie Ellison, we've been talking online for five months. I really like her, she wants to meet me, and I agreed. I've done a background check on her. No connection to Shredder, Eric Sacks, or the Foot. She's clear."

"You're meeting a girl?" Raphael asked him, utterly stunned, " _You_?! A _girl_?! You sly dog..."

"No!" Donatello hissed, looking mortified, "It's not like that. She hasn't seen me yet."

"Man, this is pretty serious..." Raphael muttered quietly as he ran a hand across the back of his neck, "How are you gonna feel if she freaks out?"

"I'll deal with it, and we'll never talk about it again." Donatello shrugged, as though it were the simplest thing in the world, "If it does go okay, and by some miracle, she accepts me and wants to see me again, I'll talk to the others. Look, I have to go. Don't follow me. I'll be fine."

Raphael looked as though he was going to protest but instead, he relented. Donatello was more than capable of taking care of himself, and it was about time that he had a bit of freedom of his own. So, the older turtle nodded and went to turn away from his brother, but not before he gave the lankier turtle a glance over his shoulder.

"Good luck." He whispered, turning back towards the lair and leaving Donatello in the tunnels, alone.

The purple-clad turtle took a deep breath and looked at the route ahead before he set off running towards the rooftop where he'd agreed to meet Marie. Trying to settle the ever growing nerves in the pit of his belly, Donatello concentrated on the things he could see, hear and smell around him, as well as the feeling of the cold, late Fall air against his skin. It was a technique that was supposed to help with anxiety, since it took the focus away from what was causing the anxiety, and put it on something less stressful.

When he arrived at the rooftop in question, he saw a lone figure with dark hair that flowed in the cold wind, dressed in a warm looking coat, skinny jeans and ankle-high boots. Her slim figure stood trembling in the biting wind, a cell phone clutched tightly in slender fingers. With shaking hands, Donatello took out his own cell phone and went onto the messaging app that he used to talk to Marie, before typing a quick message. He was sure that this was Marie he was looking at but he wanted to make absolutely sure before he terrified some poor stranger.

 _"I'm here."_

The phone in the girl's hand lit up, confirming his suspicions that it was Marie he was looking at. He'd seen her picture on her social media posts but he still needed to be sure it was her. She was just _beautiful_. The light from her cell phone illuminated her sharp, elegant features. Her small, straight nose, Cupid's bow lips, and stunning silver eyes were all glowing in the light of the cell phone, and Donatello's heart flew upward into his throat. He was so lost in her. She was just amazing, even more so than she appeared to be in her photographs. He watched as she read his message, and a smile came to her lovely face, which caused him to bite his lip as sadness suddenly washed over him. She was going to be so disappointed.

"Where are you, Donnie?"

It wasn't the first time that Donatello had heard her voice. They often talked on the chatroom by voice-calling, rather than just typing, and she really did have a lovely, gentle voice, which often sent his heart into a frenzy. He knew that this was the moment he'd been bracing himself for, and if he didn't do this now, he'd never be brave enough to do it again.

"Before I step out, I need to tell you something..." His voice sounded as nervous as he felt, "I-I'm not going to be what you're expecting..."

He heard her feet shuffle as she stopped in her tracks, and he tried to quell the throbbing of his heart in his chest, swallowing the bile that risen into the back of his throat.

"Just... Please, don't be afraid, Marie..."

It sounded so pitiful. So desperate. He heard the girl take a deep breath as he peeked out from where he was hiding. She had a sad look on her face, which sent a horrible sensation spiralling into the pit of his stomach. She hadn't even seen him yet, and she was disconcerted...

"Okay... I-I'm stepping out." He said quietly, clearing his throat as he slowly rose to his feet.

He dwarfed her... He was well over six feet tall, and his build, even though he was leaner than his brothers, made her look tiny. She was going to be terrified, he just knew it. He stepped out steadily from the shadows and into the light, watching her expression for her reaction. She didn't speak. She just stared at him, eyes now tearful and jaw slack. Yeah... She was _crestfallen_.

"This wasn't exactly something I could just tell you about." He tried to explain, struggling to hold her gaze, "I-I'm sorry. I can see you're disappointed..."

The words seemed to snap her out of her trance-like state, and as tears slipped down her pale cheeks, she wiped her silver eyes with her slender fingers, clearing her throat. She was just painfully beautiful. It _hurt_ to look at her. She'd always been so kind and supportive when they talked, and she'd brought him back up when he was in a low mood with his newly discovered depression, but now... She just looked upset, and it broke him inside to think that just looking at him could make her feel so distressed.

"God, I'm sorry." She breathed out, covering her mouth with a hand for a brief moment, "I don't mean to stare... I-I'm not... I'm not disappointed. I'm just a little _amazed_ , I guess..."

She edged towards him, clearly unnerved by the sight of him. Well, she wasn't screaming, or running away, and she hadn't fainted. So, Donatello could only take those things as positives in this situation. She reached out steadily with a trembling hand as she moved closer, and she tentatively brought it up to cup his face. Her other hand stuffed the cell phone she'd been holding back into her pocket frantically before she reached up to cup the other side of his face. Her fingers felt unbelievably cold against his skin, and Donatello could only wonder how long she'd been stood out there waiting for him.

"How?" She asked him, a sad look glazing her tearful eyes, "W-What happened to you...?"

He explained everything to her about where he came from, the fire, the mutation, and she listened to him intently, without interruption. As he relayed the story to her, she gently explored him with her manicured hands, her fingers carefully tracing his plastron or the muscles of his arms. It was hard to concentrate when she was touching him like this.

"Why are you crying?" He asked her in a tender voice as she took one of his large hands in both of her daintier ones, squeezing tightly.

"I'm so sorry that you have to live like this..." She whispered, "In hiding... Knowing that you could be harmed just for being different..."

"It's not so bad." Donatello tried to reassure her with a weak, awkward smile, "Honestly, Marie, it isn't..."

She nodded, even though she obviously wasn't convinced. She looked back into his grey-green eyes with her beautiful silver ones and she let out a small smile, squeezing his hand again. With his heart thudding in his chest, Donatello's eyes widened as Marie leant up with her arms outstretched, almost as though she was going to embrace him. Noticing the fact that she was almost struggling to reach, even though she was five feet and nine inches tall, he leant down and met her half way, his large arms encircling her small form slowly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's so good to finally see you, Donnie." She whispered, "And, yes, I am sort of shocked that you're not a human, but... You're still the same Donnie. Regardless of what you look like."

"Thank you." His voice wobbled slightly as he spoke, allowing her to release him from the warm embrace, "It means a lot to me that you've been so accepting... Given what I am."

" _Who_ you are is what matters to me in a friend." Marie smiled up at him, "A person's nature and character are more important than how they look, I always say."

After a moment of brief silence, Marie gazed up at the large turtle again, her eyes glistening with a newfound mischief. She rested her hands on his plastron, gazing up at him with those beautiful silver orbs of hers, her grin broadening as he let out a smile of his own that was filled with nothing but relief. She hadn't pushed him away, or rejected him.. She'd _embraced_ him. Things were going much better than he ever could've imagined.

"So... Is your name short for something else?" She asked him, swallowing thickly, "Or are you just plain old Donnie?"

"Donatello." He answered her, earning an even bigger grin from her.

"Like the artist?" She asked, her eyes never leaving his.

"Exactly." He replied with a nod, feeling her hands grip onto his arms again tightly, "So, are you sure you're okay? With this, I mean?"

Marie nodded, swallowing thickly once again as she gazed up at him again. Her face, even though it was only dimly lit by the lights on the roof, seemed to suddenly lose its colour. Donatello froze, studying her carefully as her focus seemed to dwindle for a moment, and those lovely eyes started to glaze over. He instinctively reached out, ready to catch her, since she looked like she was about to pass out. He could see it written all over her face that she felt _very_ unwell. The sudden positive feelings that had been coursing through him were quickly being replaced once again by worry and anxiety at the thought of her possibly passing out on him.

"Marie?" He asked her again, watching her face slacken as her eyes fluttered like she was struggling to keep them open.

 _'Here it comes...'_

Her legs started to give out from underneath her, causing her to start to slump towards the floor, and he instantly caught her around the waist, trying to steady her. She held onto his arms tightly, her nails digging into the scales of his forearms as she tried to hold herself up. The good thing was that she was semi-conscious at least, so he could talk to her and find out what her symptoms were to see if he could help her recover from the sudden collapse.

"Easy..." He said soothingly, looking around for somewhere to sit her down, "I've got you."

He saw a concrete ledge near an air conditioning unit, and he scooped her upward and into his arms with ease, bridal style. He quickly moved her towards the sheltered part of the roof and sat her on the ledge, crouching down in front of her before bringing his goggles down over his glasses so that he could check her vitals. Her blood pressure had dropped dramatically and suddenly, which was what had caused her to collapse.

"Marie?" He asked her gently, "Can you hear me?"

"I'm okay." She reassured him, taking a deep breath, "I'm so sorry. I don't cope with unusual situations very well. I'm not afraid of you, it's just... When things take me by surprise..."

"Shhh..." He hushed her quietly as he wrapped his hand around her wrist to take her pulse, "Just take deep breaths. Put your head between your knees."

He carefully eased her forward and placed a hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly as she kept her head down. He wasn't at all surprised really. After all, she was a human, and humans generally didn't take well to the unknown or abnormal. He could hardly blame her if he was honest. Most people would react much worse to seeing something like him, and she'd handled it really well up until that point. She was even apologetic about it, which made him realise that she was being very considerate of him and his feelings.

"I'm sorry." She muttered again as he continued to rub her back, "It's my anxiety. I told you it was severe and I've had it for years. I was anxious about meeting you as it was and..."

"Don't apologise." Donatello interrupted her in a whisper, swallowing down the lump in his throat, "It's alright."

"No, it isn't..." She breathed, her voice hitching with what Donatello recognised to be upset, "You're a _person_... And I'm reacting like this..."

"I understand." The turtle told her, "Honestly, I think you've taken this really well, considering what I look like. It's alright, really."

It wasn't alright with him, in actuality. He was upset that his appearance had caused this reaction, and had made her physically ill. It hadn't been his intention, and he was hurt by it. But, again, he didn't really blame her. At least she hadn't completely rejected him and removed him from her life, so that was a positive. He couldn't bear to hear her apologising to him for something she couldn't control, though. Anxiety was a horrible thing to live with, and literally, anything could send a person suffering from anxiety; particularly severe anxiety, into an attack like this.

"I want you to know that I think you're very brave." She said, raising her head again as she wiped her eyes, "You've trusted me with a secret as important as this, and you've also shown yourself to me, knowing that I could've run screaming in the opposite direction. So, thank you."

Her voice was weak, and her breathing was laboured, but Donatello couldn't bear to ask her to stop talking this time. It was obvious that she felt so guilty about her reaction, even though it was completely beyond her control, and he knew that she needed to explain, even though it wasn't necessary. He smiled at her reassuringly and nodded in response to what she'd said, allowing her to hold onto his hand again. It felt so wonderful to have her soft skin against his scales, even if he knew the sensation would be torn from him sooner than he'd like.

"This doesn't change anything, in my eyes." She continued, gazing at him as she took a deep breath, "I still want to spend time with you. You're really sweet... If someone reacted this way to meeting me for the first time, I probably wouldn't want to stick around."

"Well, I like you." Donatello said quietly, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks despite the cold weather, "I think you're a really great person."

"I think you're a great person, too." Marie smiled up at him, taking in another deep breath as she moved her grip to his biceps, "Okay... I think I'm alright, now."

"I think I ought to take you home." He said softly, easing her to her feet, "I know I haven't been here long, but you've had quite a shock, and... I can come and see you again if that's what you want."

"I'd love that." Marie said again with a weak grin, "You don't have to take me far."

"I know." Donatello smiled back at her warmly, gently drawing her into his side so that he could help her walk, "Would you like a piggy back ride on my shell? It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but it'll be easier than you trying to get down the fire escape like this."

"That'd be awesome." The eighteen-year-old chuckled, "Thanks."

Donatello steadily lifted her onto his shell, supporting her thighs with his arms. He made sure she was settled and comfortable before he started towards the fire escape. The orphanage that Marie lived in was in between the building they were on, and the next large building opposite. It was a small, refurbished apartment building that the owners, Lauren and Dan Applegate bought twenty years previously. Marie had been there for fifteen years since her parents died in a car accident when she was three. Due to her anxiety, as well as a multitude of other issues that Marie had experienced in early childhood, she had been somewhat neglected by the people who were looking to adopt children from the orphanage.

Lauren and Dan realised when Marie got to the age of thirteen that there was very little chance of someone willingly taking on a teenager, so, they'd tried to take care of her the best they could. Now that Marie was eighteen and in her last year of high school, they had to prepare her for adult life on her own. She'd already said that she didn't want to go to college, so they were going to pay for a deposit on an apartment and give her the money for her first month's bills and rent to get her started.

Donatello was kind of excited for her to have her own place since they'd be seeing more of each other. At least then they wouldn't have to meet on rooftops in the freezing cold weather. Once they were on the ground, Donatello walked her to the edge of the alleyway that they were in, and he prepared to say his goodbyes. Not that he found it easy to, of course.

"So... I guess this is goodnight." Marie's voice was soft, almost like a whisper as her expression fell into a sad one again, "I-I will see you again, won't I?"

Donatello nodded at her and tried to offer a reassuring smile. He was sure it just came out awkwardly like they usually did, but he offered her a grin, nonetheless. The eighteen-year-old beamed at him, with a smile that could light up a room, and she reached up to give him a hug goodbye. He met her half way, closing his eyes to savour the feeling of holding the beautiful girl in his arms as she squeezed him tightly to her. He then felt a pair of soft, gentle lips against his cheek, and they lingered for a brief moment, causing a lump to rise in the turtle's throat.

"Goodnight, Donnie." She said softly, releasing him from the hug, "Let me know when you get home safe, okay?"

"Sure." Donatello tried not to sound as stunned as he probably looked, "G-Goodnight, Marie."

The young girl steadily walked out onto the street, and Donatello waited until she was safely in the building before he went anywhere. He wasted no time in scaling the taller building again to get out of the way, but the minute he got onto the roof, the stress and emotion hit him all at once. The fear that she'd reject him, the anxiety he'd felt when she'd half-collapsed on him, the joy he felt at the fact that she wanted to see him again and the jolt of both excitement and pain that had flown through his heart when she'd kissed his cheek, smacked him like a tidal wave.

Falling to his knees, the lean turtle put his head down, taking deep breaths as a wave of nausea hit him as well. He was shaking, he was out of breath and he felt very light headed. She wanted to see him again. She'd _kissed_ him. Yes, she'd kissed his cheek, but it was still a kiss. That was the _last_ thing that he'd been expecting, and it had been such a tender gesture, one that he'd never experienced before.

"Get a grip..." He muttered to himself, pushing himself up and onto his feet.

He took another deep breath, trying to focus his mind on anything but the feeling of her lips on his skin. She wouldn't want anything more with him, anyway. He'd be friend-zoned and left to want her from afar as she dated guys who could give her something _real_. Guys who could give her a decent life. He hadn't expected to fall so damn hard for her, though... He'd already started to fall for her as they'd been talking online, but after seeing her, and speaking to her in person, he'd completely lost his heart to her.

He was doomed. She probably wouldn't ever care for him in the same way. He knew that. Who could fall for something like him anyway? Yes, Raphael had April, but they'd both saved one another on more than one occasion, and Raphael had that bad boy nature, that April clearly liked. Donatello was just Donatello. Plain, boring old Donnie. He had nothing that he could offer Marie, that would make him in any way appealing to her.

As a new, fearsome kind of anger started to bubble up inside him, Donatello let out a small growl before he sprinted towards the edge of the rooftop and leapt across to the next, wasting no time in making his way back home.

~ **To Be Continued ~**

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 **A/N No.2:** So, there we have chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll continue to write and update daily, and somehow I'll try and find the time to get my first one-shot for my first OC's universe done. I promise you will get to read about the antics of Raphael, Amelia, and baby Daisy in those one-shots. They do have to go on the backburner at the moment because this fic has to take priority, but I'm doing my best to get the first one done. As for this fic, I'll be back with second chapter soon.

 **Thanks for reading so far, everyone!**


	2. Living A Lie

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! We're back with chapter two. Thanks to everyone who has favourited/read this story so far. I can't say I'm not kind of disappointed by the lack of reviews, but I'll continue to update daily anyway and I can only hope that maybe I'll get to hear from you guys soon. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know it looks shorter than the last one, but that's because there isn't ridiculous babbling from me at the start like last time.

Happy reading!

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 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Two: Living A Lie }**

Amazingly, Donatello had arrived back at the lair and had managed to get into his lab completely undetected.

A few days passed after the meeting with Marie, and everyone else apart from Raphael was completely oblivious to the fact that he'd even left the lair. So, Donatello went about his daily business, fixing things, building things, and chatting with Marie. It was a Saturday, so she was spending her day playing computer games, which was one of her favourite hobbies.

Donatello, meanwhile, was fixing the toaster that Leonardo had broken again, when Raphael entered the lab, closing the shutter behind him. Donatello wasn't expecting anyone to just walk in, so he almost dropped the toaster in his hands when he heard the shutter door being pulled down. He turned on his chair and glared at his older brother, pushing his glasses back up onto his face.

"Raph, you scared the hell out of me." He hissed, taking a breath to calm himself, "What's up?"

"You haven't told them." Raphael said quietly, crossing his arms, "You know Sensei and Leo are both gonna flip if you keep this a secret, Donnie."

"I know. But, I just wanna see where it leads." Donatello answered him, going back to tinkering with the toaster, "I don't want them to make me drag her down here. She almost fainted when she saw me for the first time. I don't think she'd cope with all of you at once."

"She almost fainted?" Raphael asked, concern crossing his features as he moved to sit on the new medical bed that Donatello had built, "I'm sorry, man..."

"It's fine, Raph. She actually coped amazingly well with seeing me for the first time." Donatello answered, "Her anxiety just got the better of her. But, she wants to keep seeing me and I wanna keep seeing her, so... I wanna see where things go."

The chances of this going the way that Donatello clearly wanted them to go, were pretty slim in Raphael's eyes. Him getting incredibly lucky with April meant nothing. It didn't mean his brothers would be able to enjoy the same happiness. But, this was probably the best mood that he'd seen Donatello in for a long time. Raphael knew his brother was dealing with some deep-seated issues, but the small glimmer of hope in his eyes was enough to tell Raphael that Marie's presence in his younger brother's life was a huge help. Folding his arms, the nineteen-year-old realised he didn't have the heart to talk realistically to his brother. Donatello was dealing with enough, without Raphael then dashing his hopes.

"You know what, it happened for me, so I don't see why it can't happen for you too." He said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, "You know, if you need any advice or other stuff like that, just come find me. 'Kay?"

For the first time in what felt like years, a genuine smile came to Donatello's face, and it made a weight lift in Raphael's heart. Oh, yeah. Marie was definitely good for his brother. He just hoped that Donatello wouldn't end up getting his heart broken because Raphael didn't think they'd be able to get him back if he did. He'd curl into himself and give up on the world, which would leave his brothers and father devastated.

"Thanks, Raph." Donatello said with a beaming grin, turning his attention back to the toaster, "Y-You're the best."

"Whatever." Raphael dismissed him with a wave, trying not to get embarrassed as he went to open up the lab shutter again.

He wasn't used to compliments. Even when April told him she found him handsome, or she told him how amazing she thought he was, he found it hard to take. He just didn't feel like he deserved it half the time. With a fond smile and a shake of his head, the turtle headed out of the lab, leaving his younger brother behind. He pulled the shutter down behind him, and Donatello breathed out a sigh of relief, before continuing his work with the toaster.

Once it was fixed, he joined his family for dinner, where he had to endure the sight of April and Raphael being all over each other. It wasn't repulsive. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Raphael had her seated on his knee, and the two of them laughed as she playfully fed him a slice of pizza. It just looked so _normal_ , even though Raphael was far from what would be considered normal. He would brush her long, dark hair over her shoulders, and she'd lean into the touch while she'd play with the ties of his bandanna... Raphael just looked so _happy_.

Donatello would give anything for that, and following the events of that wonderful, yet terrifying night when he'd first met Marie, he accepted that she was the person he wanted to share that happiness with. But, as he'd seen from her social media updates, he was probably the last person she'd want that with. She had a lot of friends who were boys. They'd carry her on their shoulders in their pictures, or put their arms around her. She even had a picture of one of them kissing her cheek while she pulled a mischievous looking face to the camera. Good looking, _normal_ boys.

She was happy, with a normal life. She had friends, she had prospects... She had a chance to find love, and have a family with a human man. He couldn't really expect her to give up everything she knew to make some poor excuse for an existence work with him, could he? How selfish of him to even consider it.

 _'You vile, selfish freak.'_

"Donnie?" April's soft voice flittered into his thoughts, snapping him back to reality, "Are you alright? You look pale..."

"I'm fine." He answered weakly, offering her a pathetic attempt at a smile, "I just, uh, have a headache. I think I'm gonna go and sleep it off."

Without another word, he got up and left the dinner table which sat in their newly built kitchen area, and he headed out towards his lab. He didn't like to run out on his family that way, but he wanted some time on his own to get his head in gear. He felt pretty upset, and he didn't want the others to see him like that.

Back at the table, the three brothers and their father all shared worried looks between each other. Raphael tightened his hold on April, who looked rather upset herself. They'd known for a while that something was wrong with their brother. Raphael knew why he was behaving the way he was, but he'd promised not to say anything, so he wasn't going to. Knowing that his little brother was depressed and that there was nothing he could do to fix it, was awful.

"Is he alright?" April asked quietly, worry gracing her beautiful features.

"I'm sure he's fine." Raphael replied, trying to soothe her.

"I dunno, Raph. He's been kinda down lately." Michelangelo piped up from his seat, his mouth full of pizza as he spoke, "It's like he's depressed or something."

"Maybe I should go talk to him..." Leonardo offered, only to feel a soft paw resting on his forearm.

He met eyes with his father, who was shaking his head solemnly, as though to stop him from going anywhere. Splinter could practically feel the anguish rolling off of Donatello in waves. He knew his son was conflicted, emotionally drained, and pained in his heart. The thought of his son hurting so much was unbearable, and as his father, it was Splinter's duty to go and offer him some form of solace and comfort.

"No, my son. I will go and talk to Donatello." He said in a gentle voice, "I'll take him some coffee."

"Do you need a hand, Sensei?" Leonardo asked as his father eased himself out of the dining chair.

Even though he was far from decrepit, and even though he wasn't showing any sign of struggle, Splinter was getting older. His boys and April were all trying to help him where possible because they knew that soon, he would probably start to show signs of his age getting the better of him. The thought of it was gut-wrenching for all of them. Leonardo had comforted Michelangelo when the youngest turtle had come to him in tears, worrying about that time of their father's life. The eldest turtle had heard the emotional conversations between a tearful April and his younger brother, who had also sounded as though he was incredibly upset himself.

Donatello, on the other hand, seemed to take a calmer approach when it came to those kinds of thoughts. Splinter would be cared for, primarily by Donatello, given the fact that he had a more medical knowledge than the rest of them, so the second youngest turtle had sort of just accepted that his role would probably involve making their father comfortable in his final days. That didn't mean that Donatello was actually okay with this. While he seemed calm, Leonardo had seen the emotion in the purple-clad turtle's eyes whenever the subject was brought up.

"I'm fine, Leonardo." Splinter's voice sounded so soothing as it interrupted Leonardo's thoughts, "Thank you."

Leonardo nodded as his father headed towards the coffee maker, and he briefly glanced at Raphael to see April pressing her lips to his brother's forehead, in a soothing and comforting gesture. He then looked to Michelangelo, who had a glum, pained expression on his face. The youngest turtle could hide nothing about his emotions. He was an open book, and he always had been.

"Hey, Mikey... Why don't we go and play that video game you were telling me about?" Leonardo suggested, trying to bring his brother's spirits back up, "I did promise to play it with you, didn't I?"

The light immediately came back to those baby blue eyes, and Michelangelo got out of his seat with a grin, nodding his head like an excited child.

"Yeah!" His happy voice brought smiles to everyone's faces, including Splinter's, "You grab the potato chips, and I'll get the Orange Crush!"

Feeling satisfied that his family's moods were lifted, Leonardo got out of his seat and went to get some snacks to share with his little brother.

* * *

When Splinter arrived at Donatello's lab, he found his son lying face down on his desk, with his arms folded to support his head. The headgear he usually wore was placed carefully on a nearby bench, as was the gear that he wore on his shell, while his bo staff was leant against the wall next to the desk. Slowly, Splinter stepped inside and spoke softly to his son, knowing better than to startle him. Trained ninjas could be very dangerous when startled.

"Donnie?"

It wasn't often that Splinter used the nicknames that his boys had graced each other with, but in these moments where he was being a father, rather than a sensei, he felt it was important to make things as informal, and stress-free as possible.

"Hmm?" The response was sleepy and quiet, but Donatello raised his head from his arms, reaching for his glasses that sat nearby, "Sensei?"

"I brought you some coffee, my son." Splinter said with a small smile, setting it down on the desk in front of Donatello, before he pulled up a spare chair and sat down in it, placing a comforting hand on his son's shell, "Are you feeling alright?"

Splinter wasn't an idiot. He knew his son's headache was a complete fabrication. It was something that Donatello had done when he was a lot younger. If something was bothering him and he needed to get out of the way, he'd make an excuse about feeling unwell, and take his leave to ' _sleep it off_ '.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm fine." Donatello winced and rubbed a hand across his forehead, gratefully pulling the cup of coffee towards him, "Are you alright, Sensei? Is there something you need?"

"Donatello, I've come here to speak to you as your father." Splinter said quietly, "Now... What is it that's troubling you?"

"Dad... I'm fine. I promise." Donatello offered him a weak smile, reaching out to comfortingly rub his father's arm, "I'm okay. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Splinter looked conflicted as he met eyes with his son. He knew that Donatello wasn't being truthful, but he also didn't want to push the boy into talking before he was ready. Donatello took a tentative sip of the coffee, letting out a long sigh as the taste of it invaded his senses.

"Please, don't worry about me, Dad. I'm fine." He said in a quiet voice.

"I'll always worry about you, Donatello. You're my son." Splinter told him, continuing to rub the top of his shell in a soothing manner, "I just ask that if there is anything that is bothering you, or if you need to talk to somebody, please feel free to come and speak to me."

"Of course." Donatello nodded, taking another drink of his coffee, "I think I'll take this to bed with me."

"Yes. It is probably better for you to get some rest." Splinter smiled at him warmly, before standing from his seat to leave and give his son some privacy, "Goodnight, Donatello."

"Night, Dad." Donatello replied, watching his father slowly head towards the exit of the lab, "I love you. You know that, right?"

"Of course, I do." Splinter said gently, turning back to look at his son one more time, "I love you too, my son. Now, get some rest."

Donatello stood from his own chair as his father left his lab, and at the sound of the shutter closing behind him, he slowly walked towards the small chamber at the back of the lab that was his bedroom, picking up his staff on the way. His large bed looked so inviting, with its black, periodic table themed bedspread and it's full, plump pillows. He stepped into the room and put his coffee down on one of his makeshift nightstands, before returning to collect his tech gear from the other room. Once back in the bedroom, he let out a long sigh and pulled the shutter down, separating himself from the rest of the lair.

He took off his remaining gear and laid it all out neatly on a storage chest he had at the foot of the bed, sitting his tech gear on a nearby makeshift desk before he grabbed the custom-built laptop that sat on it, placing that on his bed. He went to his bathroom, showered, brushed his teeth, and then returned to the bedroom, putting his glasses back on his bare face.

Now, all he had to do was wait for everyone to go to bed, and he'd be able to sneak out again to go and meet Marie.

* * *

There she was, dressed in that same, thick grey coat, a pair of bootcut jeans covering what were, no doubt, long, luscious legs, and a pair of white sneakers. Her chocolate brown hair was hanging down over her shoulders, and on her head sat an adorable white beanie hat. She had dark grey mittens on her hands, which had the caps off to reveal fingerless gloves underneath.

She was just stunning. Angelic looking, even, and as the light from the surrounding buildings cast her in a warm glow, the turtle's heart began to hammer hard in his chest. Donatello looked at her for a few moments, enjoying the view, before he decided to creep around the side of the entrance to the roof that he'd been hiding behind to call to her.

"Hi, Marie."

Marie spun around on the spot, a bright smile illuminating her face as she lay eyes on him. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were red with the cold, and her silver eyes shimmered as she beamed at him, an excited squeal escaping her lips. She started to run towards him, and he was able to catch her just in time as she threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Donnie!" She breathed, holding onto him tightly with a big grin on her face, "I missed you! Something awesome happened at school yesterday!"

"Oh, really?" Donatello asked her as he lowered her to the floor, "What?"

"I got asked to the winter ball by one of the most popular guys in school!"

Donatello got that horrible feeling in his stomach like he was falling. The words made his heart sink like lead in liquid concrete, and he felt a sickeningly large lump rise in his throat. She was going to a winter ball, which he knew that some schools held near Christmas time. He had no doubt that she would look absolutely beautiful, and she would be on the arm of some handsome, cool guy who outshone him a million times. She'd have a great time, probably end up hooking up with him, and then, ten years down the line, she'd most likely forget about Donatello entirely and settle down to have kids with that lucky son of a...

"That's great!" He snapped himself out of his negative thoughts and tried to sound as enthusiastic as he possibly could, "Really, Marie, that's awesome!"

"I'm so excited!" Marie gushed, clapping her hands together, "Let me show you the dress I just ordered! It's gorgeous!"

She took him by the hand and pulled him towards a ledge, sitting them both down on the cold concrete. Usually, he would've been shivering in these kinds of temperatures, but he just felt completely numb, instead. He listened to her babbling on excitedly about fabrics and colours, and he desperately fought against the emotion that was threatening to build up inside of him. He was devastated.

 _'What did you expect? You're her friend now, Donnie. You're gonna have to listen to her every time she tells you about what she gets up to with this boy...'_ The voice in his head was unbearably loud, _'He's gonna hook up with her while you sit helplessly in the friend-zone. And, you'll never get out of it. Do you know why? Because you're a big, ugly freak, and she'll never look at you in that way.'_

"Donnie, what's wrong?"

A gentle hand on his arm managed to quell the sound of the voice in his head, and his grey-green eyes met Marie's silver ones, as they gazed up at him with concern. In her free hand, she held her cell phone, where there was a picture of a beautiful, plum coloured gown was staring up at him. The dress had a very tasteful neckline, and Marie's upper chest and arms would be covered by lace which matched the colour of the gown itself. It was simple but elegant, and Marie would no doubt look beautiful in it.

"I-Is that what you'll be wearing?" He asked her, earning a nod from her as she gave him a strange look, "You'll look really pretty."

 _'Really pretty? Is that the best you can do, you big idiot?'_ The voice came back with a vengeance, _'No wonder you're so useless. You're just a big, lanky, awkward...'_

"I think it's perfect." He said quietly, succeeding in cutting the voice off once again, "He'll love you in it, I'm sure."

"Thank you." Marie answered, her beaming grin returning to her face as she removed the picture from the phone, "Anyway, enough about me. How are you? The last time we spoke you didn't sound too good..."

"I'm fine."

That was just the standard response to this question now. It was easy. It came out automatically, and it was a short enough response to basically stop whoever was asking him how he was, from going any further. Marie clearly didn't believe him, even when he smiled at her as though to emphasise that he was okay.

"Honestly, I'm just tired." Donatello said, clearing his throat, "I do a lot of work at home. Like building and fixing things... Sometimes I have really long days and I don't get finished 'til late."

"I see." Marie replied with a nod, reaching out to take his hand in her own, "Have you been getting any sleep?"

"A little." Donatello nodded, swallowing thickly to try and get rid of the lump in his throat, "Really, Marie. I'm fine."

"Okay." She smiled sweetly at him, "Look, if you need to talk, you know where I am. I worry about you."

"Please, don't. Honestly, I'm absolutely fine." Donatello said with a small frown, "How did your counselling appointment go?"

Marie's smile instantly twisted into an expression of irritation and disgust. She never wanted to attend counselling in the first place, but Lauren and Dan had forced her to go, so she didn't have much choice. To Donatello, it seemed very wrong to force someone to get help who wasn't ready for it. Marie had suffered from severe anxiety for most of her life, and he had no doubt that Lauren and Dan had made it worse by forcing her to get counselling.

"Terrible." Marie answered, "I barely said a word. I had to sit for an hour and listen to some boring old woman try and tell me what I already know. I'm never going again, and if Lauren and Dan try to make me, I'll leave the orphanage."

"I'm sorry." Donatello said quietly, looking down at their still entwined hands, "Do you need to talk about anything? You know you can tell me anything, don't you...?"

"Yeah, thanks." Marie replied with a smile, "I just wanna enjoy my time with you."

"You know, we need to find somewhere indoors to hang out. It's freezing." Donatello muttered, rubbing his arms to warm himself, "I just don't know where..."

"You know, my room's right at the top of the orphanage. It's insulated, there's no-one else around me..." Marie suggested, "Lauren and Dan wouldn't even know you were there, and if anyone happens to come upstairs, there are plenty of places for you to hide."

"Are you sure?" Donatello asked her, looking a little wary, "I don't want to invade your privacy."

Marie rolled her eyes at him and grabbed him by the arm before she started pulling him towards the fire escape. Even though his stomach was somersaulting and his heart was racing because she was touching his skin, he followed her faithfully, his large frame dwarfing hers.

"You're freezing. You'll get sick, and neither of us want that." Marie told him, "You won't be invading my privacy unless you snoop through my stuff. Come on."

Willingly, Donatello followed, all while trying to quell the sudden onset of anxiety that had settled in his chest at the thought of going to Marie's bedroom.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	3. Overcrowded

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thanks to everyone who's been supporting me so far. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. It has taken a lot of effort to write because of the nature of the material, and I have struggled with it since there's something very personal about it for me, so... It really does mean a lot to me that you're being so supportive. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks for reviewing both chapters so far! I know you wouldn't have seen the alert straight away, but I figured I'd surprise you with it anyway. I'm glad you're liking this so far.

Happy reading!

xxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Three: Overcrowded }**

"Sorry! I had to sneak in! I shouldn't really be out this late." Marie said in a hushed voice as she opened her bedroom window, "Come on in."

Donatello, who was trying to quell the pounding of his heart in his chest at the thought of entering a girl's bedroom, bit his lip and climbed in through the window, only for Marie to hurry around him and close it, drawing the curtains straight away afterwards. He looked around her bedroom, only to find that it was more like a studio apartment. She had a small refrigerator and stove in the far corner near the door, with a kitchen counter between the fridge and the stove, and another one next to the stove, against the wall with a sink built into it.

She also had a brightly coloured, patchwork couch, and a small television on a stand close by, as well as her own washing machine and dryer, which sat in an alcove that was in the corner, near the door. The walls were painted a soft, rose pink, and she had rich, wood flooring with rugs placed in various spots on the floor, such as by her bed, under her small dining table which had two chairs with it, and under her small, rickety-looking coffee table. It was so homely, and as he turned his gaze to his left, he saw her double bed resting against the wall, with a white and pink floral bedspread, and a thick, white faux fur throw folded neatly at the foot of it.

He watched as Marie removed her outdoor wear, trying not to stare at the way her baby blue long-sleeved top highlighted her rather ample breasts and flat stomach. He swallowed thickly, pushing his glasses back up onto his face as he tried to calm his nerves. She closed the doors to her closet and turned to him with a small, nervous smile, rubbing her hands together as she took in a deep breath.

"Do you want a drink?" She asked him, taking him by the hand, "Oh, Donnie... You're so cold..."

She brought his hand closer to her body and placed her other over the top of it, rubbing it gently to try and warm it. He watched her, feeling a big, thick lump settle itself in his throat as he tried to savour the feeling of her skin on his. She was so beautiful, with her silky, chocolate brown hair hanging over her shoulders, her cheeks flushed with the cold that she'd just escaped from. He dreamily watched her Cupid's bow lips move into a pout as she gently breathed onto his hand before she continued to rub it again to warm it.

"Give me your other hand..." She whispered, reaching for him again to try and warm his right hand instead, "Is that better?"

"Y-Yes..." He stammered, swallowing hard as she released his hands, "Thank you."

"I have hot chocolate if you'd like some." She offered, reaching up to the small cabinet on the wall above her sink to retrieve two mugs, "Or I have coffee? Or tea?"

"Hot chocolate would be great, thank you." Donatello stuttered again, gingerly stepping further into the room.

"Sit down, sweetie. Make yourself at home." Marie told him as she grabbed two sachets of hot chocolate from a small box in the same cabinet, "I don't have marshmallows or cream, I'm afraid."

"That's fine." Donatello answered her quietly, easing himself down carefully onto the comfortable looking, bright coloured couch, "I have to ask, why do you have a kitchen in your room?"

"Lauren and Dan installed it about a month ago for me." Marie replied, grabbing the kettle from the spare counter to fill it with water, "I have the washer and dryer to do my own laundry, and I have the kitchen and my own bathroom. It's to try and get me ready for living on my own when I move out in the summer."

"Are you excited about moving out?" Donatello asked, watching her as she busied herself with getting their drinks ready.

"I'm scared, more than anything." Marie told him in a soft voice as she set the kettle to boil before she tore open the sachets and poured the contents into the mugs, "Lauren and Dan are just a phone call away, but... I'll miss the kids so badly. Even though I prefer to be up here out of the way, I still love the other kids so much."

"You'll be fine." Donatello reassured her, "If you want, I can come and hang out with you some time. There'll be no real need to sneak around then."

Marie's lips curved into a pretty smile as she turned away from the mugs to look at him, leaning carefully against the counter. Donatello almost sighed as he gazed into her silver eyes, marvelling at how beautiful she was. How could no-one have wanted to adopt her in fifteen years? Yes, she had issues with her mental health, like her anxiety, and the occasional night terror, but she was the sweetest person he'd ever met, and she was hard working, well behaved, ambitious, creative, as well as incredibly loving. All those people that had passed up on the opportunity to adopt her had missed out on having someone in their life who was unbelievably special.

"You're welcome anytime." She breathed out, biting her lip, "You're probably the only friend I'll still have at that point."

"What about your friends from school?" Donatello asked, watching as she ducked her head and let out a rather bitter sounding laugh.

"They're not nice people. The guys are always trying to get into my pants, and the girls are always bitching about me behind my back, just like they bitch about each other. I don't like anyone in my group of so-called friends." Marie told him, folding her arms, "High school's just full of jerks."

He saw the pain in her eyes. The pain of loneliness. He knew it so well, and Marie was probably feeling it so much more than he was. She'd had to endure fifteen years of rejection, and she was dealing with issues that singled her out from a lot of other people her age. He now realised that talking about her friendships with other people was a sensitive subject, so he made a mental note not to take the conversation in that direction again.

The sound of the kettle clicking caught Marie's attention and seemed to snap her out of her upset state. Donatello felt relieved because he didn't want to see her looking so forlorn. He watched quietly as she made their drinks, and then she brought them over to the coffee table, setting them down carefully on two coasters before carefully pushing one of the mugs towards him.

"Thanks." He said softly, gingerly lifting up the mug by the handle to hold it carefully in his hands, "So, how's your art portfolio coming along?"

Marie was an artist and a very good one. She loved to paint and draw, and now that she had a graphics tablet, she could produce artwork on her computer. She started her portfolio for her school work at the start of that semester, and she'd done some really awesome pieces that she'd already put into her portfolio, which had earned her A grades. Lauren and Dan had bought her the graphics tablet as a gift after she'd received the first A grade for her artwork. They felt it was the least they could do since she'd spent years earning those types of grades in all her subjects.

"It's getting there. My teacher tells me I'm way too critical of myself, but, I dunno..." She muttered, rubbing the back of her neck as she drew her legs up onto the couch.

"You _are_ too critical of yourself." Donatello told her as she reached for her drink, "I've been telling you this for months. You're really good at what you do."

"You think so?" Marie asked him, looking at him with bright eyes and a rather adorable half smile, "Really?"

"Yeah." Donatello offered her a smile and adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat, "You're really talented."

As a blush spread across the eighteen-year-old's face, Donatello felt his heart skip a beat. He gazed at her lovely face as the redness gently began to dust her cheeks, barely able to breathe as she reached out and gently squeezed his arm in response to his comments.

"Thank you." She whispered, returning her silver gaze to his grey-green one, "That means a lot to me, Donnie."

She removed her hand and returned it to her cup, taking a tentative sip of the hot liquid as Donatello did the same with his. It was so strange to think that they'd only just met face to face, yet she was talking to him as freely as she did in the chatroom. He realised how well she hid her anxiety, and how well she hid her other issues from other people. He really wished that she didn't feel she had to, but he had no doubt that the fifteen years of rejection probably made her think that living a lie was the only way to have relationships with people.

The two finished their drinks and talked about all kinds of things. Hobbies, books, movies, music, video games... Donatello spent most of the night with a smile on his face, and it felt like forever since he'd spent an entire evening feeling so happy. He found that Marie laughed at a lot of his stupid jokes, and she asked him questions about his life that he never thought he'd be asked. It felt so good to have a friend of his own, and when the time came for Donatello to leave Marie behind, it was the first time in a while that the smile had left his face.

He and Marie shared a long, warm hug and she gave him another kiss on the cheek before he headed into the cold night to sneak back into his lab. A few hours of sleep would be enough for him to be ready to train the next day.

When he got home, he texted Marie to let her know that he was safe before he climbed into bed, and he attempted to get some rest.

* * *

The next month passed by like lightning, and Raphael continued to cover for Donatello as he repeatedly left the lair to go and see Marie. It was a week before the Winter Ball at Marie's school, so Donatello's mood was far from positive.

Of course, everyone else in the lair knew as much. He was unusually snappy, withdrawn, and he was working so hard that he was lucky to get an hour or two of sleep most nights. He used so much energy trying not to snap or be nasty with Marie that he just didn't have the strength to be as courteous at home.

The only time he left his lab these days was for training or for food, and even then, sometimes a member of his family would have to take food and liquid refreshment to him, reminding him that he needed to eat. The last time he'd seen Marie had put him in an even worse state of mind. Seeing the dress she was going to wear the following weekend, hung up on her closet door, reminded him of the fact that some other guy was going to get to spend the night with her, when she was looking undoubtedly beautiful, and Donatello was going to have to either sit at home or go on patrol with a heavy sense of loneliness and loss in his heart. Even though he knew already that he didn't have a chance with Marie, it didn't mean that the prospect of some other guy swooping in and seducing her wasn't painful. Donatello hurt more than anyone could understand because of this fact. He'd spent a few nights that week curled up pathetically into his pillows, soaking them through with tears that he'd never admit to shedding.

Seeing Raphael and April together wasn't exactly helpful either. It only made him hurt more, and he always seemed to see them when they were in some kind of romantic embrace. Raphael had come and actually apologised to him because he thought that Donatello felt as though their relationship was being rubbed in his face, but, being the kind brother that he was, Donatello assured him that he didn't have to apologise for a simple case of bad timing. He also made sure that Raphael was aware that he and April didn't have to hide their relationship for his sake. He tried his best to reassure his older brother that he was fine and that there was nothing to worry about.

Raphael knew that his younger brother wasn't being entirely truthful. He'd heard that Marie was going off to some school dance with a really popular kid, and he knew that Donatello wasn't coping very well with the fact that in a week's time, Marie could have a boyfriend. A boyfriend that at some point, she would probably want Donatello to meet.

The thought of Donatello having to cope with something like that was awful. He wasn't as strong as the others, mentally. While his level of intelligence was much higher than those of his brothers, Donatello didn't like confrontation, he couldn't deal with negativity in the way that Raphael and Leonardo could. Raphael didn't like to think of his brother as weak because that wasn't the truth, but the older turtle worried that this whole thing with Marie would literally end in tears, and they'd never be able to bring Donatello back from it.

Raphael was almost convinced that Donatello had fallen in love with the young girl, even though Donatello hadn't actually said anything of the kind. The way his eyes shone when he talked about her and the way he would smile when he thought about her made Raphael realise that this was much deeper than a simple crush. He knew as much from his own experiences when he fell for April.

For several days, Donatello had been far from his usual self, and Raphael was the only one who knew why. He swore to himself that he wouldn't betray Donatello's confidence. With Marie's school dance only a week away, Raphael was certain that this bad mood would last up until, and possibly past that point. On this particular evening, as the family sat around the dining table, Donatello emerged from his lab looking tired, stressed and most unnerving of all, angry.

No-one spoke to him as he took a seat at the table, but Michelangelo bravely cleared his throat once Donatello was seated, and slowly pushed one of the pizza boxes in his older brother's direction. Donatello took it gingerly and took out a slice of cheese pizza, angrily sighing as he felt all eyes slowly move towards him. He was sick of all this scrutiny that he was under from his family. It wasn't fair. No-one else got nagged at or harassed the way he'd been recently.

"You okay, Donnie?"

Leonardo's voice caused something in Donatello's head to snap. He was sick and tired of hearing people asking if he was okay. He told them he was fine, so why couldn't they just leave him alone? Before he could stop himself, he was out of his seat, knuckles pressing hard into the table as he glared dangerously at his older brother, who actually shrank back in his seat at the sudden, threatening movement.

"For the last _fucking_ time... I'm _fine_!" He was shaking with anger, seething to a point where he actually couldn't control what was coming out of his mouth, "I don't nag all of you about how you are! Leave me alone!"

As his chest heaved and his body trembled, Donatello walked away from the table to get his bo. He had to get out of the lair before he physically punched someone, and the only place he wanted to be was with Marie. He didn't even dare look at anyone as he marched back out of his lab towards the entrance to the lair, but as he heard Leonardo's voice again, the red mist started to descend.

Donatello did _not_ get angry like this. The brothers and April had _never_ seen him lose his temper like this before, and Raphael had actually eased April behind him as a precaution because their brother's behaviour was currently highly unpredictable. Leonardo just couldn't leave him be, though. He was walking towards the enraged turtle, his tone wary as he spoke to him.

"Donnie, where are you going?"

Spinning round with venom in his voice, Donatello held his bo out towards Leonardo in a threatening manner, his eyes alight with rage. It was a look that Leonardo had never seen before, and one he hoped never to see again. It was terrifying. Their seemingly meek little brother was standing before his whole family, scaring the living hell out of them. Donatello, who was now frightened about how angry he was feeling, wanted nothing more than to get out of the lair and away from the concerned faces and the pitying eyes. He wanted to _run_. Every fibre of his being was _screaming_ at him to get out of there.

"I'm going to get some air, and if you follow me, Leo, I swear..." He growled, trying to calm himself down, "Just back off and leave me be."

Before anyone could say anything else, Donatello turned on his heel and sprinted out of the lair. It was like he was running for his life, his feet pounding against the ground as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before. Once he was on a nearby rooftop, the realisation settled in about how awful he'd just been to his family. Thankfully, Splinter hadn't been there to witness his outburst, but April had. She'd seen a side of him that he never wanted anyone to see, and he felt so guilty about his behaviour that it brought a massive lump to his throat. He reached for his phone to check the time. It was seven in the evening, so Marie would definitely still be up, and probably on her own as well. He dialled her number as he walked across the rooftop, his body still shaking from his earlier outburst.

 _"Hey, Donnie!"_

Her cheerful voice almost reduced him to tears. He needed to be with her so much because he knew that he could tell her about what had just happened, and how he felt about it without being judged by her. He couldn't answer her because his throat was so tight with emotion, and the fact that he was shaking with adrenaline wasn't exactly helpful either.

 _"Donnie? Sweetie, are you there?"_ She sounded slightly nervous now, _"Are you okay?"_

"Can I come over?" He asked her, closing his eyes and pursing his lips in an attempt to not get upset.

 _"Sure, of course..."_ Marie replied, her tone clouded with worry, _"Donnie, are you okay?"_

"Not really..." He answered her, taking in a painful breath, "I can't..."

He sounded so pitiful but he was really struggling to not just break down and sob. He was having a really bad day with his depression, and he was at a point where literally anything could've set him off, like the way he flew off the handle back at the lair. He hated being in this state of mind, where the slightest little thing could almost drive him to tears...

 _"Oh, sweetie..."_ Marie sounded pretty emotional herself, and he realised she could hear how upset he was, _"Come on over... I'll see you soon."_

"'Kay..."

Gritting his teeth and resting a hand on his forehead, Donatello hung up the phone and let out a harsh sounding half sob, taking in a long, deep breath through his nose. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes with his large thumb and index finger to get rid of any moisture that had suddenly appeared there before he slipped the glasses back onto his face. After taking another moment to calm himself, he began running in the direction of the orphanage, desperate to see the one person in this world who he felt fully able to open up to.

He got there within ten minutes, and he found that the window was already open for him. He climbed inside and closed it quickly, and as Marie turned around to greet him, he found his legs carrying him straight towards her as he wrapped her up in a hug. Her arms moved to wrap around him in return and she held him tightly, reaching up to cup the back of his neck and the base of his skull.

The walls started to crack inside his head as he felt stinging in his eyes and nose. Panic rose within him at the thought of crying on her, but as he heard a gentle shushing come from the girl in his arms, and as he involuntarily heaved out a sob, he realised that it was far too late to worry about looking weak in front of her. She didn't say anything to him, but she held him in her warm arms and rubbed his shell soothingly, and he curled his fingers into her long, dark hair as he closed his eyes tightly. Hot tears fell down his cheeks, and as he took in a shuddering breath, he heard that soft voice again as she gently hushed him and continued to rub his shell.

"I'm sorry..." He breathed out, hearing her hush him again.

"Don't apologise." She told him in that lovely, soft tone, "It's alright."

"I didn't know where else to go." He whispered, taking in another heaving breath.

"That's okay, sweetie." The eighteen-year-old replied, her voice quaking with emotion, "Come and sit down... I've made you some tea."

"Thank you." Donatello muttered, taking off his glasses to wipe his eyes as Marie pulled back from the embrace.

He felt a little better already just for being in her arms, and as he placed his glasses back on his face, he sighed softly as she gently brushed a falling tear from his cheek. She then took his huge hand in her smaller one and slowly pulled him towards her couch, taking his bo from him to lay it on her bed as he gingerly sat down on the comfortable couch, resting his head in his hands. She then moved past him, squeezing his shoulder as she did so. Bringing a hot cup of tea across to him, she carefully placed it on the coffee table with her own, and she then reached across to take his hand in hers.

Both of her hands barely fitted around his large one, but she held onto it firmly to make sure he knew she was there for him, and she moved the hand that rested atop his in gentle, soothing circles. He explained everything to her about what happened with his family, and about how his depression seemed to be getting worse. She listened carefully, encouraging him to talk to his family about what he was going through. She was relieved to hear that he'd been able to confide in his older brother, and Donatello assured her that Raphael checked on him when possible.

"You know, your family are probably worried sick about you." She said, "You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you need to, but you should call them and at least let them know you're okay."

"No, I'd better go home." Donatello answered quietly, shaking his head, "They'll be wondering where I am, and I know you have school tomorrow..."

"Okay, well... Let me know that you're home safe, alright?" Marie said with a sweet smile, leaning forward to hug him tightly, "I worry about you so much."

"Don't, please..." The turtle's voice was quaking as he held onto her, his large hands tightening around her small frame, "I'll be fine. I promise."

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you're always welcome to come here, okay?" Marie said sweetly, kissing his cheek with those soft, Cupid's bow lips of hers.

"Thank you so much." He breathed out as they parted from their hug, her gorgeous silver eyes meeting his grey-green ones as she gave him a rather adorable smile.

"You don't need to thank me, Donnie." Marie assured him, patting his muscular leg lightly before getting up to put their mugs in the sink, "I know you'd do the same for me."

Donatello stood up slowly from the couch and then crossed the floor to get his staff from her bed. He secured it in place on the back of his shell as she walked towards him again, and he carefully opened the window, only to be hit with the icy chill of the mid-December wind. The two friends shared one last, long hug goodbye before Donatello disappeared into the night, leaving a worried Marie behind.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	4. Taking A Risk

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi everyone. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, alerted, favourited or read this story so far. I'm kind of gutted by the lack of reviews since Donnie's fic got quite a few votes. If it's not up to what you guys were expecting, I can take it down and rewrite it... I have completed Raph and Amelia's first one-shot, but I'd like a couple more under my belt before I publish anything. Also, there's more artwork on my DA profile, if you want to check it out. I hope you guys are enjoying the fic, I really do, and I hope you like this chapter.

 **The Silvernote:** It does suck to feel that way, you're right. But, hopefully, things will start to get better for Donnie soon! ;)

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Four: Taking A Risk }**

When Donatello arrived back at the lair, he was met with his father, whose eyes were full of distress and concern.

If there was one thing that Donatello certainly couldn't handle, it was this. Seeing his father sick, hurt, or distressed was unbearable, and the tall turtle knew that he'd really gone over the line this time. To just leave like that after such an explosion of his temper must've not only scared his brothers but what had his father been through for the past couple hours that he'd been gone from the lair? How could he have behaved so selfishly? He tried to meet his father's eyes, but he found it more of a challenge than he ever had before. The distress in them was unbearable.

"Where have you been?" Splinter asked, his voice strained with emotion, "Leonardo said you ran out of here like your life depended on it."

"I just needed to get out of here." Donatello breathed, "I just wanted some air, that's all."

"You haven't been yourself for a while now, Donatello." Splinter said with hurt evident in his dark eyes, "There is obviously something troubling you."

"I'm fine."

Splinter fought the urge to roll his eyes. He knew that Donatello was far from _fine_. He'd known for a while. He felt the negative energy rolling off of his son in waves. He felt the pain, the loneliness, the anxiety... He knew his son was ill, but he had to wait for Donatello to tell him as much before he could do anything about it. He wasn't about to potentially damage his relationship with Donatello by forcing him to talk about something that was obviously incredibly personal, and also very painful.

"Donatello..."

"I'm fine, Dad."

That was the problem with Donatello. He would just shut down about things like this, and he couldn't bring himself to confront personal issues. When he was a child, and he would be upset about something, Splinter would try to coax him into talking, only to be met with the poor boy hiding inside his shell because he felt too crowded. Donatello was complex. It took a great deal of care to get him to open up about things that were very personal and private to him.

"Very well." Splinter said with a nod, even though Donatello knew he wasn't convinced, "I think you owe your brothers and April an apology."

"Yeah..." Donatello replied, rubbing the back of his neck, "Where are they?"

"In the dojo." Splinter replied gently, "April is reading in Raphael's room."

Donatello nodded solemnly, swallowing thickly before heading up towards his older brother's room. Once he reached the shutter, he knocked carefully, hearing April's sweet voice as she told him to come in. He pulled the shutter to the right slightly and found the dark-haired reporter laying on Raphael's bed with a book in her hands, dressed in a pair of red shorts with white polka dots and a white vest with a red heart on the front. He felt a small blush come to his cheeks at the sight of her bare legs and exposed upper chest, but he tried to smile at her regardless.

"Donnie..." She breathed, getting off the bed immediately to run and embrace the tall turtle, "Oh, thank God! We were _so_ worried about you! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Donatello replied softly, wrapping his arms around her in return, "I'm sorry, April."

"No, no, it's okay." April soothed him, pulling back to look at him, "You were right. We've all been nagging at you lately, and it's not fair. We're just worried about you, and we didn't mean to upset you."

"I know that... I don't know what came over me." Donatello said, swallowing thickly and ducking his head.

"We all have moments where we need to just get away from everything and have a break." April said softly, trying to reassure him, "Don't beat yourself up about it, okay?"

Donatello couldn't believe how understanding the young reporter was. Although dealing with Raphael and his temper, he imagined that April was probably used to outbursts like that. It didn't make it any better, but at least he knew he hadn't scared her. That was the last thing that he wanted to do, and he really hadn't wanted her to see that side of him either, but now, like his brothers, she was well aware that it existed. How she could bear to be near him was beyond him.

"The guys are in the dojo." April said with a sweet grin, "Raphie's worried sick about you. Don't tell him I told you that, though."

Donatello actually managed to crack a smile at that. Not only because Raphael was worried about him, but also that April called him _'Raphie'_. He knew not to repeat that to anyone else either. He wouldn't want his brother to feel insecure about his tough-guy image, or anything like that.

"Thanks, April." Donatello replied quietly, "You're the best."

April playfully shoved his arm with a big grin on her face, before he turned on his heel and headed down to the dojo, where he could hear numerous grunts and the clashing of weapons inside. He took in a deep breath and pushed the door open, only to be met with happy, if loud greetings from his brothers. Raphael, in particular, looked pleased and relieved to see him.

"Listen, Donnie, we're sorry for making you feel suffocated like that..." Leonardo said, a very apologetic look crossing his features, "We didn't realise..."

"It's alright." Donatello answered with a shrug, "I'm sorry I flipped out at you all. It was totally unnecessary."

"Glad you're back, man." Raphael said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, we were worried about you!" Michelangelo added, grinning at Donatello before pulling him into a rather awkward hug.

"I just went out for some air, guys..." Donatello said, "I didn't say I was leaving indefinitely."

"Just humour us, huh?" Leonardo said, moving to also give Donatello a hug.

With that, the oldest and youngest turtles headed out of the dojo, leaving Raphael and Donatello behind. Donatello was grateful because he knew that Raphael would have questions for him, and he'd rather get the small interrogation out of the way before anyone could overhear it. The two glanced at one another for a brief moment before Raphael grabbed the large towel that was sitting on the bench near the door, rubbing the back of his neck with it to get rid of the sweat that had built up from his workout.

"So... Did you go to Marie's?" He asked in a quiet voice, earning a rather shy nod from Donatello, "You okay?"

"I'm okay." Donatello nodded, swallowing thickly, "She made us some tea and we talked about stuff."

"So, are you ever gonna tell her how you feel about her, or...?" Raphael trailed off, gesturing with his hand, "...Are you just gonna mope about her for the rest of your life?"

"Come on, Raph. You know a human girl wouldn't look at me twice." Donatello muttered, "She's so beautiful. She could have anyone she wanted. She's hardly gonna choose a gangly, nerdy mutated turtle, is she? Not to mention a gangly, nerdy, mutated turtle with four eyes."

Raphael stared at Donatello for a moment, his expression one of exasperation. He hated to hear Donatello talk about himself like that. It was easy for him to say, though, he supposed. April had seen past the physical differences and Raphael considered her to be the most beautiful woman he'd ever encountered. Then again, he and April had a very special bond. They'd saved one another on various occasions and he was especially protective over her. But, just because Marie and Donatello hadn't bonded in the same way, that didn't mean that she couldn't see past the fact that he wasn't human.

"Dude, don't talk that way." Raphael breathed, shaking his head as he ran his hands over his face, "How are you gonna know if you don't tell her how you feel? She obviously likes hanging out with you or you guys wouldn't have been meeting up all this time. It doesn't mean it can't become something else."

"Just... Just don't..." Donatello answered, swallowing thickly as his throat started to ache with upset, "I know it's never going to happen. I've accepted it. So, once this school dance is over, and once she hooks up with some normal, human guy, I'll distance myself."

This was so damn hard for Raphael to watch. His younger brother literally had no fight in him at all. He wasn't the same Donnie he used to be. The Donnie who'd get excited about the newest pieces of technology, the Donnie who'd crack dumb jokes that no-one else understood, but he'd crack them anyway because he found them funny... The Donnie who had _life_ in his eyes. It hurt all of them, but for Raphael, who seemed to have grown closer to his younger brother over the past couple of years, it was agony.

"Look, uh... You do whatever you think you gotta do." He said, sounding as defeated as Donatello looked, "But, all I'm saying is that sometimes it's worth taking a risk, you know?"

"Did you take a risk with April?" Donatello asked him, earning an unusually soft smile from his big brother.

"Biggest risk of my life." Raphael answered, "I gave my heart to that woman. Spilt my guts to her like some fucking lovesick schoolboy and then I kissed her like my life depended on it. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. I know it ain't the same for everyone else, but..."

"No, I understand what you're saying." Donatello said with a very forced smile, "Thanks, Raph."

Raphael watched as the lanky turtle slipped out of the dojo with his head bowed, shoulders slumped as though he was carrying the weight of the world on them. Shaking his head, the large turtle followed slowly to see Donatello disappearing into the darkness of his lab, closing the shutter behind him. He then made his way up to his room, feeling a sudden need to be in the arms of his girlfriend.

* * *

The night of the Winter Ball was a quiet night for Donatello and his family. He sat alone in his room, locked away from the rest of his family, binge watching _The Big Bang Theory_ , which he then had to turn off because seeing all of those wonderful unusual relationships between the characters made him feel even more miserable. He tried to play some video games but he couldn't bear to without Marie's voice in his ear, laughing and whooping with joy when she got more kills than he did.

However, at around ten in the evening, Donatello's phone began to ring, and unbelievably, the person calling him was Marie. Confused, he slowly answered the phone and brought it to his ear, hearing a shaky intake of breath on the other end of the line.

"Marie?"

 _"Donnie...?"_

She was crying... Why was she crying? Panic rose within him as he practically flew off of his bed, quickly putting on his gear while he continued to hold onto the phone. She started to sob on the other end of the line, and a million and one horrid thoughts began to fly through Donatello's head. She was supposed to be at her school dance, having a good time with her date, not crying on the phone to him.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, "Where are you?"

 _"I'm at home..."_ Marie cried, sniffling rather noisily on the other end of the line, _"I-I got to the dance, and my so-called friends just jumped me... My dress is ruined, and so is my hair..."_

"Oh, God... I'm so sorry..." Donatello whispered, "Do you need me to come over?"

 _"Yeah..."_ Marie sobbed, her breathing laboured as though her chest was heaving with her distress, _"I haven't told you the worst part..."_

Donatello stopped in his tracks, keeping the phone held to his ear as a sudden wave of protective anger hit him like a brick wall. He listened to her tearful voice, devastated that her night had been ruined by people who were supposed to be her friends. This wasn't a sound he wanted to hear. The sound of her sobs and her emotional voice were awful, not to mention unbearable.

 _"He was in on it... My date knew that they were going to do that to me..."_ Marie told him, causing the anger in Donatello's chest to boil over, _"I thought he was different... But... Jesus, Donnie, the only place I wanna be right now is with you..."_

Oh, some people were going to pay for treating Marie that way. He'd make sure of it. Scaring the living crap out of them was good enough punishment, he figured, but he'd think about that later. His first priority was to go to Marie. The poor girl had been through enough in her life without people treating her that way. The fact that she told him that she only wanted to be with him right now was enough to send a spark of hope shooting through his chest. Maybe... _Maybe_...

"Okay, I'm on my way." He promised her, opening up the shutter to his room as he tried to quell the hopeful thoughts that were in his head.

The last thing he needed was disappointment, especially when she was so desperate to be with him. On his way past, he spotted his iPod speakers on one of his workbenches, and a brilliant idea popped into his head. Grabbing the speakers, he attached them to his belt and began to make his way to the entrance to his lab.

"Marie...? Meet me on the roof... The one where we first met face to face."

 _"O-Okay..."_ Marie replied, _"Th-thanks, Donnie."_

"Don't thank me." Donatello said softly, trying to quell the nerves that had just settled in his chest, "I'll be there soon."

He felt this incredibly urgent need to get to her as quickly as he could. He could take the van but he didn't want to draw unwanted attention to himself. He threw the shutter upwards that closed his lab off from the rest of the lair, and without any hesitation, he started to walk hastily towards one of the lair's entrances in full view of his brothers.

"Where are you going, Donnie?" Leonardo asked from his place on the couch.

"I just have to go out for a while." Donatello answered, trying not to sound too angry or panicky, "I'm just getting some air."

He then set off running into the tunnels and Leonardo wasted no time in getting out of his seat. Raphael had a feeling that Donatello wasn't just going out for some air, and it seemed like Leonardo was intending to follow him to find out what was really going on. Raphael's heart sank. If Leonardo found out about Donatello and Marie, he'd never let the younger turtle live down the fact that he'd spent months keeping secrets from his family. Donatello was the one that was always classed as being the least rebellious. He didn't keep secrets or sneak around or tell lies. So, Raphael knew that Leonardo would freak out if he found out what Donatello had been up to.

"We're going after him, aren't we?" Michelangelo said with resignation, rubbing a hand over his face.

"We are." Leonardo said with a determined nod, "There's been something going on with him for a while now, and I wanna know what."

Raphael had to think fast in order to save his brother, or at the very least buy him a little more time. If his suspicions were right, and Donatello had actually gotten up the guts to go and make a move on Marie, he wasn't about to let Leonardo ruin that.

"Look, you saw how he was the other day." The large turtle began, "If we follow him around he's gonna get even more pissed at us."

"No, Raph, something's wrong." Leonardo said with a shake of his head, "And I'm gonna find out what it is."

Before Raphael could say another word, Leonardo had bolted into the tunnels after Donatello, and Michelangelo was hot on his heels. Letting out a small growl, Raphael followed them, hoping to God that things wouldn't go as badly as he thought they would.

* * *

Climbing up the fire escape of the large building next to the orphanage, Donatello could hear soft sobs coming from the rooftop. His heart ached in his chest at the sound, because he knew it was Marie, and she sounded so upset that it was almost unbearable to listen to. He climbed onto the roof and looked around for her, only to find her curled up against one of the large air conditioning units that sat in the middle, her lovely dress quite obviously torn. Her hair was a mess, and as it blew in the wind, the turtle could see how tangled it was after being pulled and torn from whichever style she'd had it tied into.

He walked towards her slowly before he moved to sit beside her gently placing a large, three-fingered hand on her back. His expression was as mournful as her sobs were, and he carefully tried to ease her closer to him so that he could hold her. She was obviously freezing, as her body shook almost violently in his arms, he lifted her and sat her in his lap, trying to shield her from the cold wind. She wrapped her arms around him the best she could, curling into him as she continued to shed tears against his plastron.

"Donnie..."

She breathed out his name in a long sob, and the turtle's heart clenched painfully in his chest. She must've felt so betrayed and so humiliated... How could someone treat such a sweet, loving person this way? He had no doubt that these so-called friends of hers had an idea of her background and the kind of things she'd been through in her lifetime. To then do something this cruel to her...? It was a whole other league. It was a kind of cruelty he'd never experienced before, and it made him so angry that he wanted to go and pummel the life out of the jerk who'd willingly walked her into that situation in the first place.

"I'm here." He promised her, smiling weakly as she pressed herself into his arms, "You look so beautiful, Marie."

"I look a mess." She retorted, letting out another series of sobs, "It was awful, Donnie... They tried to beat me. They pulled my hair and tried to cut it. They tore my dress... And my date, Sam, h-he just stood there and let them. I mean, I would've expected that kind of behaviour from them, but him?"

"I'm so sorry." Donatello breathed, holding her tighter to his large frame, "I know how excited you were for tonight. Did they hurt you?"

Shaking her head, the girl pushed herself up a little so she wasn't basically leaking all over his chest, before she took in another shaky breath, her body jolting with a sob which she almost choked on through her upset.

"I-I didn't even get a dance." Marie whispered, reaching up with her elegant fingers to wipe at her eyes.

Donatello thought as much. That was why he'd brought his speakers. He wanted to give her the night she'd been so excited for, and even though he'd never danced with a girl in his life, he could at least try to cheer her up, just a little. Trying to swallow down his sudden onset of anxiety, Donatello took in a small breath, before he got to his feet with Marie still in his arms, and then set her on the floor, taking her hand in his own.

"Come on." He said softly, pulling her towards the larger, more open part of the roof.

"Donnie?" Marie's voice was quiet, but she watched him carefully place his speakers on another air conditioning unit nearby, and he sat his iPod on the dock, scrolling through to find a song.

 _A Thousand Years_. Marie's favourite. He turned the speakers up and set the song playing before he turned to look at the eighteen-year-old, who was standing there with tears still in her eyes, and a very confused expression on her beautiful, petite face. He walked back over to her and took her by the hand again, pulling her a little closer to the speakers so that they could hear the song over the wind. Pushing his glasses back up his face, Donatello cleared his throat and gave Marie a small bow, daring to even press a kiss to her hand in a gentlemanly gesture.

"May I have this dance?" He asked her, watching her stunning silver eyes begin to glimmer with something other than tears.

She blushed and ducked her head, wiping at her eyes gently as she pursed her lips together. She then returned her gaze to his and nodded, allowing him to pull her into his arms. All that Donatello could hear in that moment, apart from his own heartbeat, was Raphael's advice. He was taking the risk. The supposedly wonderful boy that he'd been envious of for weeks had given up his chance to be with a truly beautiful, amazing person. Donatello, therefore, was going to take a chance of his own, even though he only had a bleak idea of the outcome.

His large arm encircled her waist, his tall frame dwarfing hers as she rested her head on his shoulder, and their fingers became entwined. He drew her ice cold hand towards his plastron and started to stroke it with his thumb, and carefully, the pair started to gently move to the music. He felt her sag in his arms, as though she was relaxing, and he couldn't help but smile to himself at the knowledge that she was so pleased to be with him. He leant his head against hers and closed his eyes, listening to the lyrics of the song as they slowly moved together, her fingers tightening around his shoulder.

Across the rooftops, Donatello's brothers came to a skidding halt when they saw exactly why he'd left the lair that night. Michelangelo's jaw dropped dramatically, Leonardo's eyes widened comically, and as for Raphael... Well... He was so damn proud that his little brother had taken his advice, he couldn't help but grin his ass off at the sight of Donatello dancing with who the older turtle assumed was Marie. They heard the music playing, and Raphael realised that the school dance had obviously been a bad one for Marie, which would explain why Donatello left the lair in such a hurry.

"A _girl_?!" Leonardo hissed, ducking out of the way with his brothers so that they wouldn't be seen, "I don't believe this! He's put all of us in danger, and for what?!"

"Come on. You know Donnie would never do anything to endanger us." Raphael said with a growl, "He'd have checked her out first to make sure she was clear, I'm sure."

"Especially since it looks like he's trying to put the moves on her." Michelangelo agreed, nodding sincerely as he gazed at the scene before him, "Do you think she's hot? I can't see from here."

"Shut up, knucklehead." Raphael scolded his youngest brother with a growl and a glare, and Michelangelo simply gave a sheepish grin before he turned back to watch what Donatello was doing.

Back on the other rooftop, Marie steadily lifted her head from Donatello's chest to look at him. He gazed right back at her, throat dry and breathing heavy as he stared at those absolutely heavenly eyes of hers. He saw something shift in her silver orbs as she continued to gaze up at him, and the overwhelming desire to kiss her hit the turtle like a tidal wave.

"I meant what I said." Marie said quietly, reaching up to tenderly cup the turtle's cheek, "The only place I wanted to be was with you."

"Marie..." Donatello's voice cracked as he said her name, and their movements slowed to a stop.

 _'Kiss her. You won't get another chance ...'_

Slowly... Oh, so slowly, Donatello dipped his head, tightening his hold on the young girl as she let out a shaky breath. This was what it felt like, he realised, to feel like you were laying your whole existence on the line to someone who could so easily break you. While the thought of her rejecting him and leaving him forever almost caused him to stop, Donatello tried to push it out of his head with the words she'd just said to him, and the advice his brother had given him. Maybe it'd be okay. Maybe, just this once, he could have what he wanted.

Marie's eyes slid closed, as did Donatello's, and tentatively, the nineteen-year-old simply brushed his lips against hers...

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	5. Discovered

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hey, guys! I'm quite excited to see a few extra followers, favouriters and reviewers this time :D I really do hope you're enjoying the fic so far! In case anyone happens to take an interest in my DA, I've set myself a 30 Drawing Challenge. There's a journal all about it on my DA page and a preview of my first prompt. If you're a fan of my first TMNT couple, Raphael and Amelia, it might be worth taking a look at :D

 **The Silvernote:** I'm glad you liked it! I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic. I'm almost at the end of chapter seventeen, and it's actually not going to be as long a fic as I originally thought, so within the next chapter or two I should have it finished. _Then_ , I can move onto the sequel.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Hi! It's good to hear from you again! I won't be able to answer any questions about the plot without spoiling it, but you should find the answers to your questions in this chapter. I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far.

Happy reading!

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 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Five: Discovered }**

Marie Ellison was a very simple girl.

The main thing she wanted out of life was a comfortable home. That, and the companionship of a loving partner. Now, in the arms of a mutated turtle, who had come to her at a moment's notice to take care of her after she'd been through such a horrid experience, and who had put himself on the line to keep his word to her and meet her face to face, she felt something stir inside her that she'd never felt before.

She found herself falling for the kind boy she'd met online not long after their first conversation. They spoke regularly to each other, sometimes deeply, and she soon found that this wonderful boy with such a sweet disposition and such a soothing, gentle voice had become a big focus of her daily life. The thought of meeting him in person had been both exciting and terrifying to her, and all she'd hoped for was that they could become close friends, and possibly something more.

When she then met him and found that he wasn't a human, after the initial shock, she couldn't really bring herself to care about the fact that he wasn't what would be considered to be normal. She still liked him just as much, but she'd just never had the guts to admit to him that she had a mad crush on him. She wanted to take care of him and to help through his newly discovered depression, and she wanted to offer him a loving relationship that she knew a lot of women wouldn't ever consider sharing with him.

As he'd leant down and gently kissed her lips just moments before, Marie had felt a sense of peace wash over her. After the almost traumatic events of the night she'd been so looking forward to, Donatello had come to her aid without question, and he'd even made the effort to offer her the dance that she'd never received at the ball, even though it was obvious he'd never danced in his life. Then, he'd kissed her so gently, and so sweetly that she almost collapsed into tears again.

He was now gazing at her, with worry etching its way onto his face, his lovely grey-green eyes glittering behind his large glasses, while his hand remained in hers, squeezing gently. He thought she hadn't liked it. She could see it in his eyes; the regret and the realisation that he may have made a huge mistake. Marie hadn't liked it. She'd _loved_ it. For him to treat her with such care, especially since he was giving her his first kiss, and essentially stealing hers, it had meant so much to her. So had the realisation that he quite clearly reciprocated her feelings.

Bravely, she reached up to tenderly stroke his cheek again, and she leant up towards him this time, her lips softly brushing over his. Then, she felt his grip tighten on her waist as he pulled her closer, opening his mouth a little wider this time to place a deeper kiss on her lips. She felt her stomach almost fall out of her as he tugged her even closer, sighing softly into their kiss. This was so much more than she ever could've expected from her first kiss with a boy.

Donatello's heart was _soaring_. He always thought that expression to be a stupid one, but there was no other way he could describe how he was feeling in that moment, and as Marie's lips caressed his in soft, gentle kisses, he tried desperately not to break into tears in front of her. The happiness he was feeling was beyond anything he'd ever felt before, and as he gingerly adjusted his hold on her waist, he really had to fight to not lose control of his rising emotions in front of the eighteen-year-old. He let her hand go and brought his up to cup the back of her head, kissing her again just as gently as he had before.

Across on the other rooftop, Michelangelo gawked at the scene before him with a big grin on his face, along with Raphael, who was both surprised and incredibly proud all at once. Donatello had taken the risk, and it appeared to have paid off. Leonardo on the other hand... Well... If looks could kill... Raphael felt his heart plummet into his stomach. Donatello was going to pay a hefty price for this little stunt. Regardless of whether this girl he was currently kissing made him happy, Donatello had spent months lying to his family and sneaking around. Raphael had covered for him, so if Donatello got into trouble for this, and if he got punished for this, Raphael was going to take the punishment with him. Gladly.

Donatello, upon breaking his kiss with Marie, found himself met with a flushed face and a bright, gorgeous smile. The fact that she'd returned his kiss and the fact that she hadn't pushed him away from her or called him all the names under the sun, reassured him that perhaps she felt the same way as he did. Maybe the risk had been worth it, and maybe... Just _maybe_ they could have something.

 _'Or, it's a pity kiss, you damn idiot. She feels sorry for the poor, ugly, lanky, mutated turtle boy.'_

"Donnie?"

Her voice broke him from his thoughts and he looked down at her, feeling her cold hands gently caressing his flushed cheeks. He swallowed hard and tried to hold her gaze, fighting the voice in his head with everything he had. That wasn't it at all. She hadn't kissed him out of _pity_. He was sure of it.

"I really care about you..." Marie said softly, her smile fading from her lips, "I mean... I know it might be hard for us to make things work, but... I wanna be with you."

"Really?" Donatello asked, a weak smile gracing his face, "You really want that?"

Marie nodded, her expression soft and eyes warm as she leant closer to him and kissed his lips again. Her lips were so soft and so gentle that Donatello could've sworn his heart stopped beating for a moment as she kissed him, and almost instantly, his hands were at her waist and lower back, cautiously coaxing her into a deeper, slightly more heated kiss. It was a little awkward for them to adjust to the difference sizes of their mouths, but they managed well enough in the end, and after they broke apart, the two were left breathing heavily as their heads touched, with Donatello being careful not to hurt her with the goggles that sat atop his head.

"Wanna introduce us to your _friend_?"

Donatello started, his heart pounding as his older brother's voice filled his ears. He took Marie by the arm and pulled her behind him in an instant, protectiveness sweeping over him in a flash. Marie gasped and hid slightly behind Donatello's shell, obviously stunned by the sudden surprise of the newcomers. Leonardo was glaring frighteningly at the pair of them, while Michelangelo and Raphael looked rather sheepish, which for Raphael in particular, was unusual.

Looking to Raphael, Donatello saw nothing but concern and panic in his eyes, and he realised pretty much straight away that this wasn't the red-banded turtle's doing. He knew Raphael would back him up if Leonardo started to lecture him, so the worry that had settled in his stomach seemed to slowly start to fade.

"Why did you follow me?" Donatello asked, feeling Marie squeeze his arm, "I told you I was getting some air."

"Yeah. You told us a lie." Leonardo replied, stepping towards his younger brother, "I'll ask again. You wanna introduce us to your friend? I assume that this isn't the first time you two have met."

The air was so thick with tension that Marie didn't dare move from where she was. She felt the sudden tingling in the top of her head as an anxiety attack started to kick in and her heart plummeted to the pits of her stomach. She assumed that she was looking at Donatello's brothers, but the sudden appearance of them had scared both her and Donatello half to death. She had a feeling that her presence wasn't exactly welcome in Donatello's life, and she also had a feeling that he was in deep, deep trouble because of her.

"Um..." Donatello swallowed hard, "Okay... Uh, Marie? These are my brothers..."

He gently eased her away from where she stood at the back of his shell, and he carefully pulled her into his side, watching her somewhat warily. He could feel her shaking. There was no need for her to be scared but he knew that she'd probably been startled as much as he was, and the last thing that he wanted was for her to suffer from an anxiety attack after what had just happened between them.

"This is my oldest brother, Leonardo..." He began, indicating the shorter turtle in blue, "This is my second oldest brother, Raphael..."

The enormous turtle in red offered Marie a smile, but she felt herself shrinking back a little. He was so big and muscular, and she didn't mean to act as though she was frightened of him but every fibre of her body was screaming at that point to back away. Her anxiety was making her feel hot, sick and faint, and she didn't know how to tell Donatello that she was in that state without offending his brothers.

"And this is my younger brother, Michelangelo." Donatello finished, indicating the shortest turtle in orange, who gave her a big smile of his own, "Guys, this is Marie. She's my..."

"Girlfriend?" Leonardo offered, his tone icy and harsh, "How long has this been going on, Donnie?"

Marie swallowed hard. Her legs felt like jelly as she stared at the incredibly intense expression on Leonardo's face. His blue eyes were almost glowing with fury and she felt a sudden wave of nausea pass over her as he seemed to puff his chest out, almost in a dominant manner. She could feel herself starting to lose her balance and she tried to squeeze Donatello's arm to get his attention because she felt too sick to speak. But, he didn't notice. He just kept staring at Leonardo, his eyes wide and his body tense.

"Don't you think there's a better time to talk about this?" The purple-clad turtle asked, keeping his arm around Marie as her shaking intensified.

"Donnie, I need to sit down..."

How she managed to get the words out, she didn't know, but she was already starting to lose the feeling in her legs. Donatello wasted no time in going to the air conditioning unit where his iPod sat with his arm still around Marie, and he eased her down, leaning over to turn the music off before he placed a hand carefully around the nape of Marie's neck, gently pulling her forward. He'd learned that _'I need to sit down'_ meant, _'Anxiety attack.'_ so he knew he needed to help her calm down and regain control again so that she wouldn't become ill.

"Head between your knees..." He said softly, "Take deep breaths."

Leonardo rolled his eyes at the girl's ' _antics_ ' and crossed his arms, earning a rather angry look from Raphael. Raphael knew all about Marie's anxiety. Donatello had told him in detail about how sudden shocks or sudden changes to ordinary situations could cause her to collapse, or feel faint like this. Her attacks could be literally caused by anything, and even though she took medication, they were still very severe, and stressful situations could result in her becoming very unwell. Of course, Leonardo was being a bit of a judgemental dick, and it wouldn't even occur to the oldest turtle that Marie suffered with something like anxiety.

"I'm sorry..." Marie said quietly, gripping Donatello's free hand in both of her smaller ones.

"It's alright, don't worry." He soothed her, stroking her hair gently, "Just rest a minute."

He looked up at his brothers, his expression one of concern and upset. Raphael felt terrible, because he knew Donatello was in for one hell of a night, and he knew that the younger turtle would have to stand there and explain himself in front of everyone else and that he'd be made to feel like the world's biggest traitor because he'd tried to have something for himself, for once in his life.

"Guys, I'll meet you back at the lair." Donatello said, moving closer to Marie, "I just need to take her home and I'll be right behind you, I promise."

"Good, because I'm sure Sensei will have plenty to ask you, as do I." Leonardo answered, shaking his head, "We'll see you at home."

"You need a hand, Donnie?" Raphael offered, earning a sad shake of the head from his younger brother.

"No, thanks, I'll see you back home, okay?" Donatello answered, turning back to Marie as his brothers then began to walk away, "Are you alright?"

His voice was a whisper, but he felt Marie squeeze his hand in response and he leant forward, carefully kissing her forehead. That was when he heard the soft sniffle come from her, and he saw a tear fall from her face to the fabric of the beautiful dress that rested across her knees. Frowning, Donatello tilted her head up with his finger under her chin, only to be met with sorrowful, tearful eyes.

"Marie...?"

"I'm sorry." She breathed out, letting out a soft sob, "You're in trouble and it's my fault."

"Oh, God... No..." Donatello rushed to comfort her, drawing her close to him to hug her, "It's my fault for not being honest with them. It's not yours, okay?"

He heard another sob and he held her tighter feeling her sliding trembling arms around his neck. Marie was terrified that Donatello had just been caught doing something that his family had forbidden him to do, and she worried that maybe they'd make him stop seeing her, or they wouldn't permit them to be together. She couldn't bear the thought of being separated from him. Not after they'd shared their first kiss.

"What if they make you stop seeing me?" She asked.

"I won't allow it." He told her, "Especially after tonight, I'm not giving you up for anything. But, my family aren't cruel, Marie... I've been dishonest with them, and I've been sneaking around behind their backs. Our family secret is something precious, and I've taken a big risk by meeting you, but I'm sure they'll understand when I explain everything to them."

He carefully turned his head and kissed her temple, keeping her held close to him in the cold wind as she shivered in his embrace. He wanted to get her inside before she got much colder. She needed to get warm as soon as possible and he was sure that both of her guardians would be worried about her. She was still shivering harshly, both from the cold wind and the shock of what had just happened, so he was more than a little worried about getting her inside.

"Let me take you home." He said quietly, "It'll be alright, I promise."

Marie nodded and allowed him to help her to her feet, watching him carefully as he picked up the speakers and hooked them to his belt. To think that he'd brought them just to try and make her happy... She smiled to herself, biting her lip as he cautiously slid their hands together, her fingers fitting rather unusually between his. She'd never held hands with a boy before, not like this. Her first _boyfriend_... Her smile grew so wide that it hurt her cheeks, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She felt like she was growing up, and she was happier than she'd been in quite some time.

"What is it?" He asked her, thankful that the tears were now gone from her eyes.

"My boyfriend..." She breathed out, looking down at their entwined hands.

"If that's what you want me to be." Donatello answered her, drawing her hand towards his lips to kiss it tenderly, "Come on. You're freezing. You need to get warmed up."

With a smile, Marie squeezed his hand to get his attention, and she leant up to kiss him on his lips once again. It felt surreal that this wonderful, unique, kind, gentle boy was hers. She couldn't even really call him a boy since he was legally an adult. Her _man_. Her sweet, sensitive, intelligent man. She felt him nervously deepen the kiss for a brief moment before he released her, moving to gently caress her cheek.

"Call me, won't you?" She said softly, "Let me know that you're alright."

"Of course." Donatello promised, walking with her towards the fire escape, "Okay, easy does it... When you get inside, eat something to raise your blood sugar, make sure to drink plenty of water, and for God's sake, please make sure you get warmed up. I'd hate for you to come down with something."

"Okay." Marie replied, allowing him to help her down the fire escape towards the ground.

Donatello walked her towards the edge of the alleyway as he had the first time they met, and he found himself with his arms full of the girl as they shared a warm, loving embrace. They shared one more gentle, tender kiss before she headed around the corner towards the orphanage, and Donatello immediately went in search of the first manhole he could find to go home and face his family.

Heart in his mouth for the entirety of the journey, Donatello desperately tried to think of how he could possibly explain this to them, of how he could get them to understand that he hadn't done anything to put them in danger. He was convinced that Leonardo thought him a traitor, and the idea that his big brother could look at him with such disappointment was heart-shattering.

When he arrived at the lair, he was met with his entire family, April included, who were all stood there waiting for him like some ominous jury. Raphael was next to April with an arm around her shoulders, trying to offer Donatello a somewhat reassuring look. Leonardo and Splinter stood side by side, with Leonardo looking disappointed and angry all at once, while Splinter simply looked hurt and confused. Michelangelo was well out of the way, clearly wanting to appear as though he wasn't in any way involved, or taking sides.

"Donatello."

That voice. Donatello _hated_ that tone of voice that his father used. It was a mixture of hurt, confusion, disappointment, and God only knew what else. Swallowing thickly, Donatello tried so desperately to meet his father's gaze, but he found it very difficult to look into those dark, emotional eyes.

" _Why_?" Splinter asked him, looking up at his second youngest son, "Why have you been keeping secrets from us? You could have put our family at great risk by behaving so carelessly."

"I wasn't careless." Donatello answered, his voice weak, "I... I started talking to Marie Ellison online about six months ago. When she wanted to meet up a little while back, I did a full background check on her. I hacked into every system I could to make sure I hadn't fallen for someone who had a link to any of our enemies, and she's completely clear. I didn't make the decision to go and meet her lightly, I swear."

"So trying to get into a girl's pants is apparently more important than the safety of your family?" Leonardo asked, seething with anger.

Oh, how dare he? How _dare_ he?! Donatello then began to seethe at the utter _cheek_ of his older brother, to assume something like that, and that he was capable of behaving in such a disgusting way. Shoulders squared, the purple-clad turtle raised his head defiantly and let out a low growl. No-one was going to accuse him of treating Marie with such disrespect like that.

"It's not like that!" He protested, beginning to shake with anger, "I have nothing but the greatest respect for Marie. I care about her. Deeply. More than you could ever understand."

"How long have you been meeting with this girl, my son?" Splinter asked him gently.

"About a month." Donatello answered, now feeling more confident than he had a few moments ago.

Splinter didn't seem to be overly angry. Leonardo was the one with the problem, and Donatello couldn't understand why he was so upset about it. Maybe it was the fact that he'd kept them in the dark about it all. Perhaps Leonardo was hurt. Guilt suddenly settled into the pit of the second youngest turtle's stomach as this horrible realisation swept over him, eating away at him from the inside. Oh, _Leo_... How could he have not realised that keeping secrets from his big brother would be so hurtful?

"Do you have any idea how much danger you've put her life in, as well as your own?" Leonardo asked, huffing out a breath as he shook his head, "Out of all of us, I can't believe that you would do something so selfish!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

To everyone's surprise, Raphael's voice came from the back of the room, and as April let go of his arm, he started to walk towards his brothers and his father, putting a hand to his head in utter disbelief at what he'd just heard. How dare _anyone_ call Donatello selfish? Donatello was the one who sacrificed hours of sleep to make sure things were up and running around their home and the one who barely rested because he was so busy doing repairs and researching medical procedures in case anyone needed them. He was the one who made the most sacrifices in the family, not Leonardo, who seemed to think he was the one with the biggest burden to carry. Raphael was furious that Leonardo had accused Donatello of being selfish.

"Hang on a minute." He said darkly, "Don't you dare call him selfish. Donnie's the least selfish in this entire family, and he works damn hard for us. Why shouldn't he get to have some happiness for once?"

"He put all of us in danger, Raph!" Leonardo snapped, shaking his head, "He lied to us!"

"He checked her out before he started meeting up with her!" Raphael argued back, "He hasn't lied to anyone! He just didn't say anything about her! Ain't he allowed a little privacy?"

"Not when our family is put at risk!" Leonardo growled, "Not to mention the life of some innocent girl!"

"Enough!" Splinter suddenly shouted, startling everyone, "That is _enough_! Please, allow Donatello to explain himself."

Donatello was standing before them all, his eyes glazing with tears and his chest heaving with guilt. Splinter couldn't bear to see his son in this state. It was quite obvious that Leonardo's remark about Donatello being selfish and the remarks about trying to 'get into a girl's pants' had cut him quite deeply. Splinter knew his second youngest child well enough to realise that Donatello would not have behaved recklessly or selfishly. He also knew that watching Leonardo and Raphael argue would be very distressing to the younger turtle.

However, not sharing such wonderful news, that he had actually found someone to share a special, romantic relationship with, had been very hurtful. Keeping secrets from the family was also hurtful, and Splinter knew that several hours in the Hashi to reflect upon his actions would be a severe enough punishment. He was hardly going to punish the boy for seeking companionship outside of their home. He was actually very proud of Donatello for taking charge of his own life, and for at least taking great care when doing so.

"I swear, Dad, I did everything I could to make sure we were safe..." Donatello said, his throat clearly tight with emotion.

"I'm sure you did." Splinter said, his tone full of compassion and understanding, "Please, come with me, my son. I would like to discuss this matter with you privately. Without people casting aspersions on you."

Splinter then turned to shoot a harsh look at Leonardo, who shook his head, let out a deep growl and stalked away to his room. Splinter was quite angry that Leonardo hadn't shown any kind of restraint during that conversation, and that he'd said such hurtful things to his younger brother. Raphael also shook his head at the sight of Leonardo storming off, running a hand over his face as April suddenly rushed forward and embraced Donatello in a tight hug. She was clearly trying to comfort him because he was obviously upset and not taking this very well, and as Splinter passed Raphael, the large turtle placed a hand on his father's back to get his attention.

"Don't be too hard on him, Dad." He said quietly, "You know he wouldn't have done this if he didn't feel it was safe to..."

"Thank you for defending your brother, Raphael." Splinter replied, offering him a proud smile, "I won't be too harsh with him, I promise."

Raphael seemed to sag with relief, and as Donatello passed him, he reached out to carefully put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Donatello sighed a little as Raphael squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to soothe him, but with his lower lip trembling and his head down, he continued to follow his father towards the dojo.

Once inside the large room, Splinter and Donatello sat down in the middle of it, and Donatello desperately tried to quell the onset of fear, anxiety, and upset that had settled in his chest. Watching his father carefully, Donatello found himself trying to brace himself for the anger, the disappointment, and as Splinter met his eyes to begin to speak, Donatello could only hope and pray that his father wouldn't stop him from seeing the girl he'd grown so attached to over the past few months.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	6. Admissions

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hello, everyone! I'm pleased to announce that I completed this fic last night! I'm super happy that it hasn't dragged on for as long as I thought it was going to because I was quite concerned that we'd be here for quite a while with this one. I'm going to make a start on the sequel soon to get ahead of the game a bit. Thanks to everyone who's supporting me with this so far. You're all awesome.

 **The Silvernote:** I know that Raph gets portrayed as an ass, and I hate that because I know he's actually quite sensitive, and he's just trying to be tough for other people. Thanks for the consistent reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Happy reading!

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 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Six: Admissions }**

In the dim light of the dojo, Donatello watched his father warily as he opened his mouth to speak.

Carefully, the rat leant forward a little and clasped his hands before him thoughtfully, taking in a deep breath before finally speaking to his son, who looked positively terrified as he trembled where he sat. Splinter felt for Donatello, and the ageing rat realised that the young turtle must've believed that he was about to be separated from the girl who appeared to have stolen his heart. Never in a million years would Splinter dream of doing something so cruel, especially not to his own son. It was beyond amazing that Donatello had been fortunate enough to find someone to share a loving relationship with.

"Now, tell me about this girl, my son." He encouraged gently, watching Donatello swallow thickly as their eyes met again.

"Marie is eighteen years old. Still at high school." Donatello began, clearing his throat, "She was orphaned when she was three. Um... She was never adopted so, she still lives at the orphanage she was raised in, but she's moving to her own apartment in the summer when she graduates from school."

Splinter listened carefully and nodded to show his son that he was paying attention. He could see a light in Donatello's eyes as he spoke about the girl, that the family hadn't seen for months. The rat felt a sense of relief at this, knowing that Marie clearly brought his son a lot of happiness, and gave him a kind of peace and companionship that his family couldn't provide.

"She's wonderful, Dad. You'd really like her." Donatello said, nodding as though to emphasise his point, "She's a really talented artist, she studies hard, she keeps out of trouble... She's kind, she's sweet, she's loving... I really, really care about her."

"Why have you not told us about her, Donatello?" Splinter asked, "You should've told us when you agreed to meet her."

"I know, I just..." Donatello swallowed thickly again, "She has really severe anxiety. The slightest change in an ordinary situation can send her into an anxiety attack, and hers are so bad that they cause her to feel really faint and unwell. I didn't know if she was going to reject me as a friend or not, and I didn't want to tell you all just in case... But, even though she almost fainted, she didn't reject me, and I wanted to see where things would lead."

Splinter nodded again and heard Donatello clear his throat once more, which was something that the awkward teenager often did when he was trying to explain himself. Wanting his son to calm himself a little, Splinter shifted his position to sit almost beside him, rather than in front of him, and he placed a gentle hand on Donatello's left arm as he sat to his right, before pulling him a little closer to try and comfort him. Leonardo had been incredibly harsh and had said some very hurtful things, which was very unlike him. Splinter didn't want Donatello to feel guilty for something beyond his control, and he tried to reassure him that he wasn't in as much trouble as the nineteen-year-old probably believed himself to be.

"I didn't think it would be good for her to be exposed to all of you at once, and I knew that you'd probably ask me to bring her here so you could meet her. I didn't want her to feel under pressure or to be put under unnecessary stress." Donatello explained, his head lowered and his voice tight with emotion, "Leonardo's decision to sneak up and surprise the pair of us sent her into an attack and she almost fainted then, and she felt guilty because of it. It's dangerous to her health, so I was trying to be careful."

"I understand." Splinter said softly, "I am very happy for you, my son. I am. But, this family cannot have secrets. As you clearly left the lair without telling anyone, and you have been hiding this for such a long time, you will spend twelve hours tomorrow in the Hashi, reflecting on your actions."

Donatello nodded and cleared his throat once again before letting out a shuddering breath.

"Yes, Sensei."

"As for Marie, I do ask that she be brought here as soon as possible so that I can meet her." Splinter spoke so gently once again, squeezing Donatello's arm, "I understand your concern due to her anxiety, so I'm not asking her to be dragged down here against her will. Just try to encourage her to come sooner rather than later."

"You're not going to stop me seeing her, then?" Donatello asked, looking up at his father with wide eyes.

"Of course not." Splinter said with a smile, "I do believe, however, that there is another conversation that you and I need share, but it can wait until tomorrow."

A horrid sensation suddenly settled in Donatello's chest. He knew what that meant. A _very_ uncomfortable conversation about sex was on the cards, and if the situation were different, Donatello would probably try and get out of having it. However, because Splinter had been a lot more understanding than Donatello believed he would be, he was willing to sit through whatever awkward conversation his father wanted to have with him.

"Thanks for being so understanding, Dad." The turtle said after a moment of quiet, offering his father an emotional smile, "I'm sorry that I kept this from you, but... She means so much to me that I just..."

"It's alright." Splinter soothed him, "I feel that tonight has been a rather tiring and emotional one for you. So, I think it's advisable that you get some rest, and we'll talk tomorrow."

"What about Leo?" Donatello asked sadly, "He's furious with me."

"I'll talk to Leonardo." Splinter said reassuringly, "Don't worry about that for now. Just go and get some rest."

"Thank you." Donatello muttered, steadily getting to his feet as his father did, before wrapping the rat up in a warm hug, "Thank you, Dad."

Splinter smiled and patted his son's shell, and he marvelled at their astounding difference in size. It always amazed him that Donatello had grown so tall since he was rather small as a baby. Those days seemed so long ago now when the little boy would run at his father on chubby little legs with his arms outstretched, calling out his name. Donatello was very affectionate when he was younger. Clingy, almost. But as he'd grown and started to busy himself with learning about science and technology, he'd become more withdrawn and more socially awkward. Splinter found that he missed the cuddles and kisses that the turtles used to bestow upon him when they were little.

April, of course, would hug him and kiss his cheek like a daughter would hug and kiss her father, but when his boys were very small babies and toddlers, they would often cry if they went too long without a hug or a kiss. Even Raphael used to get tearful if he hadn't had a hug with his father for a long period of time, so Splinter was able to enjoy plenty of affection from his boys. Now, however, he'd give anything to have those days back. As Donatello released him, Splinter felt the familiar ache enter his chest at the loss of contact, but he was met with a watery smile and a small laugh from his second youngest son, who then patted him gently on the back.

"Off to bed with you." Splinter said quietly, easing Donatello in the direction of the dojo door, "Goodnight, Donatello."

"Goodnight, Dad." Donatello answered him, turning back to his father as he reached the door, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Splinter replied, letting out a heavy sigh as Donatello left the dojo to go to his room for the night.

* * *

The following morning, Donatello awoke from a surprisingly restful sleep. After his conversation with his father, he'd called Marie to let her know that everything was okay. He explained that he was being put through a tougher training regime as a punishment the next day, so he wouldn't be able to talk to her for a while. Marie understood and told him to just call or message her when he could, and that she'd speak to Lauren and Dan about the fact that she'd probably be going out more to spend time with him.

He rolled over in his large bed, his sheets warm and comforting on this cold winter morning, and he put on his glasses before checking his cell phone to see that Marie had messaged him. He smiled to himself as he read her message, feeling a warmth spread through him at the realisation that his girlfriend had sent this to him. His _girlfriend_! He never believed in a million years that he'd have a girlfriend...

 _"Thinking of you. Good luck in training. I know you'll ace it. Xx"_

Donatello quickly opened up his messaging app and began to type a reply, his heart beating wildly in his chest as his thumbs quickly tapped out the message. He figured that Marie would be awake early, because she did her chores on a Saturday, and he also figured she'd want to spend as much time playing video games or working on her art portfolio as she could.

"Thank you. I'll talk to you as soon as I'm done, I promise. Thinking of you too. Xx"

Sending the message, the turtle removed his glasses again and carefully set them on his bedside table before moving to take a shower in his private bathroom. When their first home had been destroyed, Donatello had worked his backside off to give the family a better home, with the help of his brothers, of course. They all had their own rooms now, their own private bathrooms, and the security systems had been updated within an inch of their lives to ensure maximum security. They all needed more privacy now that they were growing up, and also, with April and Raphael entering a relationship, it meant that they could have a private space of their own when she stayed over.

As the water washed over him, Donatello reflected on the past twelve hours, and he thought to himself about how Marie had felt in his arms, and about how her lips had felt as they'd so gently, and so cautiously brushed against his. He felt tightening in his shell and he let out a deep breath, biting his lip. This was not the time to be getting aroused, especially not when he had to spend twelve hours in the Hashi.

 _'Please not the splits...'_ Donatello thought, _'Any pose but the splits... I couldn't walk properly for two days after the last time...'_

Those thoughts alone were enough to drive away his sudden onset of arousal, and after a few moments more under the hot spray, Donatello stepped out of the shower to brush his teeth, get dressed (or as dressed as a mutated turtle could be), and join his family for breakfast. Splinter, Leonardo, and a tired looking Raphael were sitting at the table, but the air was tense, almost as if Donatello had interrupted an argument.

"Morning." He muttered softly, ducking his head to avoid Leonardo's intense, angry glare.

"Good morning, Donatello." Splinter replied, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, thanks." Donatello answered, moving to get himself some coffee and something to eat.

"Did you speak with Marie last night?" Splinter asked him, earning a very small nod from his son, "Good."

Donatello eased himself down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a pop tart, and teasingly, Raphael nudged him with a crooked smile. Donatello looked up at him, careful not to spill his coffee, watching his older brother's eyes twinkle with mischief.

"I see you've left the icing on those this time."

Donatello blushed furiously but chuckled anyway. Ever since his rather stupid confession in the face of death, about how he was the one responsible for licking the icing off the pop tarts every morning before then returning them to their box, it had become a running joke within the family. He could only hope that they wouldn't embarrass him and tell Marie about his rather shameful and disgusting habit. It could be worse, he supposed. At least he hadn't been caught watching porn, like Michelangelo, who'd actually gone as far as to feign illness so he could spend a night at home surfing every porn site he could find.

"Morning, guys."

April trudged wearily from Raphael's room, easing her way down the stairs. Her hair was a mess, her pyjamas were creased and her eyes were bleary with sleep. Donatello didn't miss the loving smile that Raphael gave the reporter as she pulled down her Minions t-shirt and pulled up her matching pyjama bottoms.

"You want some coffee, babe?" Raphael asked her, chuckling at her sleepy state.

"I'd love some." April replied, taking a seat next to Donatello as she rubbed at her eyes, "Morning, Romeo."

Donatello shot her a look and she gave him a warm smile before leaning on him sleepily, rubbing his arm gently. She was so happy for him to have found someone to share that kind of companionship with. She'd been so worried about him for months, terrified to show her boyfriend affection if he was nearby in case it hurt his feelings. She'd sensed the loneliness and the sadness that he'd been feeling, and it had hurt her to think that she and Raphael may have been causing him unnecessary upset.

"What?" He asked her, smiling softly before taking a drink of his coffee.

"You. Putting the moves on girls, you sly dog." She teased him, running her hands through her hair as Raphael brought her some coffee and a little box of fruit from the fridge that she liked to have when she stayed over, "Thanks, honey."

Raphael leant down and pressed a kiss to her messy hair before sitting on the other side of her, returning to his own breakfast. Donatello ate quietly while trying to avoid the harsh glare that Leonardo was still occasionally throwing at him.

"What is it, Leo?" He bravely asked the older turtle, swallowing a mouthful of pop tart, "You're looking at me like I killed someone."

"Oh, nothing. I'm just contemplating how I can actually trust you, knowing that you like to keep secrets from us and sneak around behind our backs." Leonardo replied in a chillingly nonchalant tone.

"Leo!" April scolded him, putting down her fork with a rather unimpressed look.

"I'm not wrong." Leonardo snapped, "He jeopardised the safety of our very lives just so that he could chase after some girl. You can't expect me to be okay with it."

"Enough." Splinter said quietly, placing a hand on Leonardo's shell in a soothing manner, "What's done is done."

"I-If it helps, Leo, I'm sorry if I've hurt you by not being more honest about this." Donatello offered, smiling a little awkwardly, "I didn't intend to hurt you, and I would never deliberately put us in danger, I swear. I'm sorry. I don't know what else I can do..."

April's hand moved to the younger turtle's shell in a show of support, and she felt him relax slightly as he realised that someone was on his side. She looked to her boyfriend who was glaring daggers at Leonardo, before reaching under the table to take his enormous hand in hers to try and soothe him as well.

Leonardo looked up at Donatello, deep in thought. He didn't even understand wholly why he'd had such an extreme reaction. Was he jealous, maybe? Was he just worried that this girl would break his brother's heart? Was he scared that Donatello would become so distracted by this girl that he'd end up hurt or worse on patrol because he wasn't paying attention?

 _'Let it go, Leo...'_ He told himself, _'He apologised. He wouldn't have met up with her in the first place if it was in any way unsafe. Let it go_.'

"Look, I..." He stumbled over his words briefly, "I guess I've been way too harsh about this. And I'm not saying you're a traitor or a bad person, I just... I wish you would've just said _something_."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Donatello said, swallowing thickly, "I am. I didn't intend to sneak around as long as I did. I just wanted to see where things went, and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable with me before I introduced her to you guys, you know?"

Leonardo nodded, clasping his hands in front of his face before gently resting them against his mouth in contemplation. Donatello watched him, feeling somewhat more at ease than he had earlier, as Leonardo seemed to relax and he looked across at his father, who nodded at him encouragingly.

"I'm sorry too. I said some things I shouldn't have said. I know you wouldn't have deliberately endangered us." Leonardo muttered, getting out of his seat as he cleared his throat. "Just... Don't let her distract you, okay?"

Donatello nodded as Leonardo walked away from the table rubbing the back of his neck, and he sighed with relief, resting his head in his hands. April patted his shell gently and offered him a smile, before returning to her breakfast. After they'd eaten, Splinter sent Donatello to the Hashi and set him balancing with one foot on a tricycle, while he had to balance eggs on chopsticks. After Donatello had been in for only a half hour, the shutter to the dojo opened, and Raphael walked in, much to the younger turtle's surprise, followed by Splinter.

The enormous turtle then did a handstand on a very sturdy looking office chair, that Donatello had plucked from one of the junkyards on a late night run. He'd wondered where that had gotten to. Raphael got himself into position, and Splinter set the chair spinning slowly, while the red-clad turtle took in a deep breath through his nose.

"Nine hours, Raphael." Splinter instructed, "I'll be back."

Splinter left the dojo, knowing that he could check his on his sons regularly in Donatello's lab through the camera feed that was hooked up from the dojo to the security monitors. The purple-clad turtle had put cameras in the living area and in the dojo, just as a precaution. It also meant that Splinter didn't have to sit around with whichever of his sons was being punished. He could keep an eye on them through the camera feed instead.

"What are you doing in here?" Donatello asked Raphael as Splinter closed the dojo shutter.

"Taking the punishment with you." Raphael said nonchalantly, "I told Sensei that I knew about Marie and that I wasn't prepared to go back on my word to you, so he put me in here for nine hours to 'reflect on my actions'."

Donatello was stunned. Raphael had actually given himself up and had willingly taken the nine-hour punishment without complaint. All for Donatello's sake. Swallowing down the sudden lump that rose in his throat, Donatello tried to think of how he could even begin to thank his brother. Raphael had been nothing but supportive throughout this entire situation, and he'd kept his word to not tell a soul about what Donatello had been up to.

"Raph, I..."

"Don't." Raphael cut him off with a smile, "It's fine."

Not really daring to say another word, Donatello closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on what he was doing, while he heard Raphael trying to get himself into the same state of mind by taking deep, calming breaths. Their time in the Hashi passed quite slowly, but nevertheless, the boys were grateful that they one another for company.

* * *

 _"So, I told her that I was probably going to be going out a lot more than usual, and she was fine with it. Dan was a bit more reserved, but Lauren talked him round in the end. She's amazing."_

Donatello smiled as he listened to Marie chatting away over voice call to him, her sweet voice filtering into his mind like a gentle breeze whispering through an open window. Lauren had been very understanding, according to Marie, and as long as Marie told them that she was going out, and they were able to reach her on her phone, they had no problems with her spending time with Donatello. Of course, Marie hadn't told them the full truth about Donatello, particularly regarding his appearance, but at least they were aware that she was dating somebody.

"She certainly sounds it." Donatello chuckled, pushing his glasses up onto his face as he looked over the coding he was currently working on to update one of the security systems outside the lair, "Um... Marie, there's something I need to ask you."

 _"Okay..."_ She tried to hide the apprehension in her voice but Donatello heard it regardless, _"What is it?"_

"First of all, I don't want you to feel any pressure about this, okay?" Donatello began, clearing his throat, "But, because of our family situation, my Dad wants to meet you as soon as possible. I told him about your anxiety and I made him aware of the fact that you might not be comfortable about it, but..."

 _"Donnie, if your dad wants to meet me sooner rather than later, that's fine."_ Marie replied, clearing her throat, _"I'm not frail, you know..."_

"Believe me, I don't think you are." Donatello reassured her, "I just want you to be comfortable."

 _"I'll be fine, as long as I'm with you."_

The words made Donatello's heart thump wildly in his chest. Did he really play such an important role in her life, where he could protect her and keep her safe from the horrors of her anxiety? It made him feel wonderful; heroic almost. He could feel how big his smile was and he knew once and for all that this girl could make him truly, genuinely happy.

"Okay, well... Does tonight sound okay, or is that too soon for you?"

 _"Tonight's fine, sweetie. I'll do my best to look pretty for you."_ Marie teased, letting out a sweet giggle.

"You always look pretty." Donatello replied, smiling widely at the sound of her giggling again, "I'll come and get you when it gets dark, okay? I'll meet you in the alley by the orphanage."

 _"I'll look forward to it."_ Marie told him, _"Bye, baby."_

"Bye."

Donatello ended the voice call, trying to quell his nerves as he went to head out of his lab to inform his father that Marie was going to be coming over that night. He was so nervous because, despite Leonardo's apology, Donatello was concerned that Marie would be treated coldly by his older brother. Splinter seemed rather excited by the prospect of meeting his second youngest son's girlfriend and immediately started calling out orders to his sons, whether it was to set the table, start preparing dinner, tidy the living area, or make sure the bathrooms were clean.

Since his brothers were occupied, Donatello went to take a shower and make himself look a little more presentable for Marie. There wasn't much he could do, but he thought that maybe taking off his tech gear might help. He realised as soon as he took his goggles off that it was a rather bad idea to remove his tech gear because if Marie had an attack, he couldn't check her vitals. Sliding them back onto his head, Donatello tried to calm his nerves.

It didn't take long for the city to fall dark, and after receiving a text from Marie that she was ready whenever he was, he took a deep breath and tried to settle the worry growing in the pit of his stomach. Bravely, Donatello put his bo staff on his back and said goodbye to his family to go and meet his girlfriend.

His _girlfriend_. It still hadn't sunk in. They'd only been seeing one another face-to-face for a month or so, and now he and Marie were a couple. They were _dating_. Dating, as Splinter had told him in the incredibly uncomfortable conversation that they'd shared before Donatello's punishment had begun, involved many things, like ensuring that you spent plenty of time with your partner, and also sharing more intimate relations like sex. Hearing his father say ' _Sex_ ' had been the most mortifying part of the entire conversation, and Donatello had to beg Splinter to stop and had to then admit that he knew very well how sex worked and what it was. Thankfully, Splinter hadn't pushed him for answers as to how he knew, so for that, Donatello was grateful.

But the thought of having sex with Marie terrified the nineteen-year-old. If things eventually got to that stage, how on earth was he going to relieve her of her virginity without causing her severe pain? Then, another thought popped into his head. Why on earth was he even jumping the gun on this? They'd been a couple for less than twenty-four hours. There was no need to rush anything.

"So get your head out of the gutter." The turtle scolded himself with a growl, "Pervert."

Shaking those kinds of thoughts from his mind, and pushing down the feelings of embarrassment from the conversation with his father, Donatello broke into a run, focussing instead on the feelings of excitement about seeing his girlfriend once again.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	7. Meet the Parent

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for the continued support. It really does mean the world to me, especially since this fic, in particular, has been a struggle for me write due to the fact that it contains issues that I'm dealing with myself. Depression sucks, but writing about it helps me a little, so thank you to all of you.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** You're gonna get to find out what happens with Marie at the lair right now :D Enjoy!

 **J:** Thanks for the lovely review. Things aren't going to be moving too quickly for Donnie and Marie anyway. The fic's not designed to be a slow-burner really. It's more about how their relationship develops as a couple and how it's affected by their individual mental health issues. Plus, the fic's now completed, and I just don't have the time to go back and edit the remaining multitude of chapters, unfortunately. However, if it's just the mentions of sex that you're worried about coming along too quickly, it won't be happening for a little while yet. Just hormonal teenage exploration :P And, to answer your question about Mikey's fic, I will be doing a fic and sequel for him once Donnie's sequel and Leo's fics are done. That one will be a slow burner ;) I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic and thanks for taking the time to review!

 **The Silvernote:** It would've been awkward as hell to write that. I'm so glad I decided not to haha poor Donnie. That would've been so bad. I hope you enjoy this update.

Happy reading!

xxxxxxxxxx

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Seven: Meet the Parent }**

Donatello arrived at the alleyway next to the orphanage in a rather short amount of time.

He'd been so excited to see Marie again that he'd run himself almost into exhaustion, so as he caught his breath, he sent her a message to let her know he was waiting in the alleyway. Splinter had instructed him to blindfold the girl as he brought her to the lair, just for the first trip. The boys had done the same thing with April when they first met her, but Donatello was more concerned about Marie's anxiety because he imagined that taking her sight away would be a pretty big trigger for an anxiety attack.

 _'She isn't frail.'_ He reminded himself.

It was very easy to treat her as though she was weak or frail, and Donatello had detected a hint of hurt in her voice when she'd mentioned it to him earlier. He didn't want to upset her or make her feel uncomfortable, so he was treading carefully. He still had so much to learn about her, but he wanted to make a mental note of the things she liked and disliked so he knew how to please her and how not to displease her.

Within a few minutes, Marie appeared, bundled up in her winter clothes, a big smile on her beautiful face. Before he could even say hello she was in his arms, wrapping him up in a warm, loving hug. He smiled softly and closed his eyes as she seemed to squeeze him tighter, her body trembling with the cold of the mid-December air. She really was so loving and affectionate, and Donatello knew his family were going to adore her.

"Hi." She said softly, her sweet voice causing his heart to thump harder under his plastron.

"Hi." He replied, pulling back to look at her with a warm smile, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Marie told him, taking in a deep breath as Donatello revealed the blindfold, which he pulled from his belt, "What's that?"

"I have to put it around your eyes... Just this first time." He said warily, taking in the look of trepidation on her face, "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. Once my dad's had a chance to meet you properly, we won't need to use it again, I swear."

"I-I trust you..." Marie stammered, "I just don't like being blindfolded... It scares me."

"I know. I can see that." Donatello replied gently, "Just this once, I promise."

Marie nodded and stepped closer, if a little more warily, and Donatello carefully tied the fabric around her eyes before taking her hands in his own. She squeezed her fingers around his, and she didn't do so lightly, which made him more than a little aware that she was scared. He drew one hand towards his lips and kissed it gently, watching her shoulders slump a little in relaxation.

"It isn't too tight, is it?" He asked her, playing with the ties of the black fabric in a gentle manner while still holding onto one of her hands.

"No." Marie replied, "W-We don't have to go far, do we?"

"Not too far." He reassured her, "I'll carry you, okay?"

"Okay." Marie nodded, out a small squeak as Donatello scooped her up into his arms, bridal style, "Don't drop me, will you?"

"Never." Donatello promised, looking at her blindfold covered eyes, "Are you comfortable?"

Marie gave him a light nod and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning close to him. Their close proximity caused Donatello's heart to beat hard in his chest, while he savoured the feeling of holding that lovely, supple body to his own as he set off towards the far end of the alleyway.

He made sure he held her tight for the entirety of their journey to the lair, and they talked about all kinds of things. Lauren had apparently been so excited that Marie was already meeting Donatello's father, that she'd helped Marie pick a suitable outfit to wear and had offered to style her hair for her. Marie had politely declined because she didn't want to appear as though she'd made a huge fuss, but Donatello figured she would look lovely regardless.

Once at the entrance to the lair, Donatello eased her down and then took her hands, before guiding her into the entryway where he slowly untied the blindfold from where it was wrapped around her eyes. Marie blinked in the light of the lair, trying to adjust to being able to see again, so Donatello kept a hold of her for just a moment while she adjusted to the light.

"We're here!" He called out, and Marie watched nervously as Donatello's brothers emerged from various rooms, "Hey, guys. You remember Marie?"

"How could we forget?" Michelangelo asked as he jogged over to them, "Hey, sugar-babe."

"Mikey..." Donatello said in a warning tone, pulling his girlfriend into his side, "Marie, you remember my little brother?"

"Hi, Mikey." Marie said, smiling anxiously, "It's good to see you again."

This wasn't going how Marie had hoped. She was nervous as hell. She wasn't, strangely, having an anxiety attack, but she was really nervous, and Donatello could tell that she was nervous, because he was stroking her back with his thumb to try and calm her down. It felt so unusual to be in his arms like this, with his family. She'd never really had a boy in her life that she wanted to be with, but Donatello was now her first boyfriend, and she was entering her first romantic relationship with a person who wasn't human. It was so wonderful and so strange at the same time.

"You remember, Raph and Leo, don't you?" Donatello asked her gently as his older brothers approached.

"Yeah." Marie smiled, shrinking back a little when Leonardo approached her, "H-Hi."

"Look, don't be nervous around him." Raphael laughed, "He doesn't always have a stick up his ass, you know?"

"Yes, thank you, Raphael." Leonardo said with an irritated tone, unfolding his arms to try and appear more casual, "Hi, Marie. It's nice to see you."

"Yeah, you too." Marie replied, trying not to appear as nervous as she was.

Donatello wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her upper arm in a comforting manner, but all the young girl wanted to do was burst into tears. She'd been feeling so brave up until this moment, and now, she felt like she could just fall to pieces in his hands. She felt like a complete idiot for thinking that she'd be able to pull this off, and that this would go well. She had to meet Donatello's father yet, and the thought of that was terrifying to her now. Suddenly, a feminine voice then caught the girl's attention, and a very unexpected, familiar face came into view.

"Okay, so can someone come and take over dinner so I can say hello, or does the little woman have to stay in the kitchen?"

At the sound of her voice, the turtles had parted to reveal April O'Neil, who Marie recognised from her reports on Channel Six. Marie then realised that this was the April that Donatello had been talking about. The same April that had saved the lives of the turtles before their mutation, when they almost died in a fire. The same April that risked her life to protect them atop Sacks Tower in the spring of that year. Their Hogosha.

"Coming, Angelcakes!"

Michelangelo ran off in the direction of where April was standing and Marie clutched Donatello's arm tighter as the reporter walked over to them. She looked far more casual than Marie was used to seeing her, as she was wearing a grey t-shirt with a rainbow on the front, and a pair of skinny jeans with black boots. Brushing her hair behind her ear, the reporter offered her a gentle smile and Marie smiled back, trying not to look too nervous.

"Marie, this is Raphael's girlfriend, April." Donatello said quietly, "April, this is my girlfriend, Marie."

"It's great to meet you." April offered with a sweet smile, "Donnie's told me so much about you."

"Likewise." Marie said softly, "By the way, I love watching you on Channel Six. Not to sound creepy."

"Oh, thanks." April blushed and tucked herself into Raphael's side as he put an arm around her, "Nice to finally meet a fan."

"Hey, I'm a fan." Raphael told her, looking down at her as he then ruffled her hair, causing her to squeal and then suddenly run in the other direction.

Marie leant into Donatello's side, half hiding her face in his plastron as she watched Raphael chasing April around the kitchen, only to scoop her up and plant a kiss on her cheek before setting her back on the floor. Leonardo watched the young girl for a moment, realising that his presence was making her more nervous. He gave Donatello a brief smile before clearing his throat, rubbing his hands together in a rather unusual fashion, which made Donatello narrow his eyes suspiciously. What was with _him_ all of a sudden?

"I'll go and get Sensei." Leonardo offered, smiling once more at Marie before turning on his heel and heading towards the dojo.

"I see I'm not the only one with the unusual boyfriend." Marie said with a warm smile, bringing Donatello out of his thoughts and causing him to chuckle.

"Yeah. We were all pretty stunned when we found out they were dating." Donatello said, "But, they do kind of go well together."

The dojo door opened, which caused both Marie and Donatello's attention, and out stepped Leonardo, followed by Splinter, who offered both teenagers a warm smile as he made his way over to them. Keeping Marie's hand held tightly in his own, Donatello eased her in front of him, and the pair steadily walked to meet Splinter half way. Marie had been warned that Splinter was a large rat, but the eighteen-year-old hadn't expected him to look quite so... Adorable. Was that the right word? He was much smaller than the boys and he wore a robe, which looked very cosy, but there was just something about him that made her want to just pinch his cheeks. Not that he'd appreciate that from her of course.

"Dad, this is Marie..." Donatello said quietly, squeezing his girlfriend's hand reassuringly, "Marie, this is my father, Splinter."

"It's nice to meet you, sir." Marie said sweetly, holding her hand out for Splinter to shake, "Donnie's told me so many wonderful things about you."

"I'm glad to say he's told me the same about you, dear." Splinter said softly, taking Marie's hand in his paw and squeezing it as he placed his other over the top, "I hope Donatello took care of you for the journey down here."

"He did." Marie nodded, taking off her hat before smoothing out her hair, "This place is amazing... Did you build it yourselves?"

"Donatello did most of the building work down here, but we all helped out where we could." Splinter replied with a warm smile, "Would you care for some tea?"

Marie smiled and thanked Splinter quietly as Donatello helped her out of her scarf and coat before he folded them carefully and laid them on the back of the couch that April had donated to them the previous year. He took her over to the sofa to sit down, and before he could say another word, Michelangelo had slipped into the seat beside her, while Donatello was on her other side, glaring at his younger brother.

"You haven't left dinner unattended, have you?" Donatello asked him with a growl.

"No, April's got it." Raphael's voice was deep as he came by with a can of Orange Crush for himself, and in his free hand, there was one for Michelangelo, who took the cold beverage with a grin, "Leo's helping Sensei."

Marie cleared her throat and smoothed out her dark grey sweater before running her hands nervously over her thighs, which were covered in dark blue skinny jeans. On her feet, she'd put on her ankle boots, for which Donatello was grateful since he'd be walking her through the sewer tunnels later that night to take her home. He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it carefully, before leaning down to tenderly kiss the top of her head in an attempt to soothe her.

"You don't have to be nervous around us, sugar-babe." Michelangelo said with a rather adorable smile, "We don't bite. Well... Raph does..."

"Hey, what did I tell you?" Raphael said in a threatening tone as he sat in one of the pizza box arm chairs, leaning over with a menacing scowl to point at Michelangelo, "Quit it."

"Boys..." Splinter said softly as he approached with Leonardo in tow, who was carrying a tray of drinks, "Enough. Michelangelo, you're needed in the kitchen."

Michelangelo whined but got out of his seat anyway, which gave Donatello the opportunity to carefully put his arm around Marie and pull her a little closer to him. The contact made both of their hearts hammer in their chests since they were obviously very new to this kind of physical contact, but Marie didn't make a move to get away from him, so Donatello took it as a positive sign.

Leonardo put the tray of drinks on the rather new looking coffee table and then eased himself down onto one of the large beanbag chairs that sat near the huge television with tea in his hands. Splinter took a cup of tea from the tray as Donatello handed the other cup to Marie, before grabbing his own coffee that Leonardo had made for him. April then approached with a cup of coffee of her own, and she sat on the couch on the other side of Marie, offering her a warm smile. Anything to try and make the clearly nervous girl feel more comfortable. April couldn't believe how pretty she was. She had such a lovely, elegant face, and such beautiful, thick, chocolate brown hair. Those eyes of hers were just _captivating_. It was no wonder that Donatello had fallen so hard.

"So, Marie..." April began, breaking the awkward silence that seemed to have fallen upon the group, "Donnie tells us you're moving into your own apartment in the summer. Are you excited?"

"Yes, and no." Marie answered, her voice quiet and shy, "I'll be glad for the independence, but from what I've heard, it can be quite hard making it out here on your own."

"As long as you have a job that pays the bills, you'll do just fine." April said sweetly, sipping her coffee, "If you need any help, though, let me know. Starting out on your own can be tough."

"Thank you." Marie said quietly, tentatively blowing onto her tea so that it could cool a little before she took a delicate sip.

"April's been excited to meet you since she first found out about you." Raphael said with a chuckle, turning his gaze to Marie who inched a little closer to Donatello, "She's happy to have another girl to hang out with around here. Apparently, hanging out with the guys gets too boring for her."

"Oh, that is so not true!" April retorted with a big grin, "I just want a friend who I can go shopping with, or who I can paint nails with. Stuff that big, strapping boys don't want to do."

"I like painting my nails." Marie said softly, looking towards her cup, "I haven't done it recently because I haven't had the time, but... I like it."

April smiled at her and then at Donatello, who mouthed the words, ' _Thank you_ ' to her for making the effort to talk to Marie before he took a drink of his coffee. Marie settled comfortably against his side and Donatello smiled, amazed at how comfortable he felt with being so openly affectionate in front of his family. He felt like he needed to do that, though. Was that normal; to need to be openly affectionate this way? It was like he felt as though he had to make a point that Marie was taken, even though everyone already knew as much,

"Anyway, who are you calling a boy?" Raphael asked the reporter, a rather flirtatious grin breaking out onto his face.

When April blushed, Donatello winced and shook his head at his older brother, who cleared his throat and took a sip of his Orange Crush. Splinter then cleared _his_ throat and turned to his second youngest son, who looked at him expectantly as he took a drink of his coffee.

"Donatello, I would like you to give Marie a tour of our home after dinner." The ageing rat said softly, earning a nod from the tall turtle, "I imagine it won't be too long until it's ready. Michelangelo has really improved in his cooking lately."

"Apart from those disgusting, weird pizza toppings he keeps making us try." Leonardo muttered, shifting in his seat as though in discomfort, "Like that hotdog and pineapple one he made last week."

"Hotdog and pineapple?" Marie asked, looking horrified as she took a sip of her tea, "That's sacrilege! You can't put hotdog and pineapple together! Never mind on a pizza!"

"Marie's a foodie." Donatello explained with a grin, "You're not too bad a cook yourself, are you?"

"Well... I try." Marie was now blushing, half hiding her face.

She was so adorable. The turtles, their father and April all thought as much. So quiet, sweet and unassuming. Perfect for Donatello, who also quiet, sweet and unassuming. April could see the love in Donatello's eyes for this gentle girl, and she found herself looking across at Raphael, who happened to be gazing at her at the same time. She knew what love felt like. She'd been with Raphael for many months and she was madly in love with him, whether he believed that or not.

"Now, Marie, I trust that Donatello has explained the nature of our family situation to you." Splinter spoke up, noticing the young girl shuffle uncomfortably under everyone's stares.

"O-Oh, yes..." Marie nodded sincerely, "He has. And I swear that I won't tell a soul... Not even my guardians."

"Do they know that you're now in a relationship with someone?" Splinter asked her carefully.

"Yes, but I haven't told them anything other than I'm dating a nineteen-year-old boy named Donnie." Marie said quietly, feeling the heat flush to her face as anxiety settled into the pit of her stomach, "I don't want to endanger any of you in any way... But... I had to tell them something, even if it isn't the whole truth..."

Donatello saw how flushed her cheeks were and he could feel her breathing becoming unsteady. He was terrified that she was going to have an anxiety attack which was the main thing he wanted to avoid that evening. Splinter, however, could sense the fear and the sudden anxiety that the young girl was experiencing. He felt for her. Poor child. He couldn't imagine having to live a life where the tiniest thing could cause such horrible nervousness.

"It's alright, Marie." He said softly, watching her sit back in her seat dejectedly, "Don't fret, dear. You've done nothing wrong."

Marie nodded softly and stared down at her cup, now feeling very self-conscious. Donatello leant down to kiss her head again in an attempt at comfort and reassurance, but it didn't seem to do any good. Splinter and April shared a look of realisation and understanding that Marie and Donatello needed a little time alone, and the ageing rat then asked Leonardo and Raphael to go and help Michelangelo serve up dinner, while he and April set the table. Donatello was incredibly grateful that his father had shown such compassion for his girlfriend, considering the fact that Marie now had tears in her eyes.

"What is it?" He asked her gently as his family left the area to get ready to serve dinner.

"I made such a fool of myself." She muttered, reaching up and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"No, you didn't." Donatello reassured her, pulling her closer to him to hug her, "I promise, you didn't. You're doing really well right now. I can already tell that my dad likes you. And it's obvious that my brothers and April do too."

"You think?" She asked him, looking up at him.

"You're doing great, and they love you." Donatello smiled as reassuringly as he could, "Once we've had dinner, then you and I can have some time to ourselves. Maybe we can play some video games in my room or something if you want?"

"I'd like that." Marie said with a smile, leaning up slowly to gently kiss Donatello's lips, "Thank you."

Raphael watched from the kitchen with a warm grin, which he then shared with April as she moved to sit at his side. Donatello glanced over his shoulder at the dinner table and then got to his feet with his cup of coffee in one hand, and Marie's hand in his other, who carried her tea towards the dinner table carefully as she followed Donatello faithfully. Donatello didn't like it that she felt so shy because she wasn't normally this shy. She was the one usually pulling him around. Although, he supposed that having an audience of his family members wasn't particularly helpful.

"Dinner time." He said softly, "Mikey has actually made us a pizza himself tonight. We could've just ordered from _Pizza Hut_ like usual, but, it's a special occasion, so..."

Marie squeezed his hand and he turned to look at her, noticing the smile on her face. Treating her to something 'special' made her happy, so Donatello made a mental note of it. His head was like a computer sometimes. He could store all kinds of information in there, so he had no doubt that there was plenty of room on his internal hard drive to store all these little bits and pieces of information about Marie. He pulled a chair out for her next to April, and he took the seat next her, separating her from Leonardo. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, and he could tell that Leonardo made her somewhat nervous.

"Dinner is served!" Michelangelo announced, placing a big platter of garlic bread on the table, and then a huge cheese pizza, with several bowls of assorted toppings, "Okay, we have pepperoni, salami, ham, pineapple, chopped up hotdog, bacon, chicken, and even some super spicy jalapeños. Pick your poison, guys!"

Everyone thanked the youngest turtle for his efforts, and as he sat down to join the family at the table, steadily, people started digging in. Marie sat quietly, only speaking when spoken to, and Donatello kept an eye on her while trying to involve her in the conversation. He was grateful to his family, who, for the most part, seemed to be on their best behaviour, and who were trying to involve Marie in the conversation as well. But, she was still clearly very nervous, so after dinner, Donatello gave her a brief tour of the lair and then they disappeared to his lab, where he closed the shutter behind them to give them some privacy.

Almost instantly, Marie seemed to relax. Donatello was worried that he'd brought her to the lair too soon, and that meeting his family was much more daunting to her than she'd allowed him to believe to be. He realised that she'd probably agreed because she knew it was in his and his family's best interest if she came to their home sooner rather than later. April had stayed over longer than usual just for the occasion, and Donatello had a feeling that Marie knew his family had made a special effort for her benefit.

"Is this your lab?" She asked him, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. I do a lot of work in here." Donatello said quietly stepping towards her, "I program the lair's security systems from here, I treat injuries in here, I build things in here, I repair things in here... It's a room with many uses."

"You treat injuries?" Marie asked him, looking at him with an expression of concern.

"It doesn't happen often but sometimes, we get hurt when we go out patrolling." Donatello explained, gazing into her lovely silver eyes, "Anyway, my bedroom's in the back if you wanna play some video games."

Marie grinned at him warmly, reaching out to take the tall turtle's hand, and steadily, he bravely led her to his bedroom, closing the shutter behind them.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	8. Exploration

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi... So... Depression is really, _really_ kicking me in the ass today, and making feel utterly miserable, irritable, fed up and just sick of life in general. Like, seriously, I shouldn't be feeling like this because my boyfriend and I have been looking at engagement rings, and we're moving house soon, and all this nice stuff, but I just feel suckish. This is the reality of depression. You feel dreadful for no reason whatsoever, you can't control it and it kicks you so hard sometimes that it's like every day is fighting a war with your own head. So, I've decided to upload this chapter a little earlier and I may do some more Raphelia (see what I did there?) artwork. I will be doing some Maritello artwork at some point (see what I did there too?) so... I hope you enjoy this chapter, despite my morbid beginning. Much loves, and all that...

 **felicia2235:** Thank you! I hope you continue to love it as it goes on :D

 **The Silvernote:** Feeling like you've made a complete idiot of yourself is one of the worst feelings ever, and I get that a _lot_. Thanks for the consistent reviews! Enjoy this chapter :D

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Eight: Exploration }**

"Here, come sit..." Donatello said softly, beckoning Marie towards his bed.

The eighteen-year-old had placed her coat and other winter clothing on a spare computer chair by the shutter to the bedroom, and she had just taken off her boots, leaving her in a pair of black socks. She'd been standing there awkwardly for a few moments, as though waiting for permission to step further into the large bedroom. After hearing Donatello's instruction, she slowly eased herself forward and reached out nervously to take his hand.

They were now alone, in his bedroom, with the shutter down. They could do anything they wanted, and no-one would know. The thought frightened and excited Marie all at once. Not that she was planning to have sex with Donatello that night, or anything of the kind, but knowing that they could be so separated from the rest of his family sent her imagination wild with filthy thoughts. Unbeknownst to her, Donatello was experiencing the very same feelings as she was.

His need to touch her and kiss her was almost unbearable, but he just didn't know if he had the nerve to make a move. Now that there wasn't anyone around to make aware of the fact that Marie was his, Donatello seemed to lose his confidence significantly, and as their fingers were now rather awkwardly intertwined, the purple-clad turtle felt his heart leap into his throat. He watched Marie sit beside him carefully, and she brushed a strand of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear, almost too nervous to meet his eyes.

 _'Say something to her, you idiot!'_ The nasty voice that sounded in his head seemed even more venomous today, _'Or are you just going to stare at her like some perverted creep? You'd better enjoy this while it lasts because you know it won't, right? You know it won't last. She'll outgrow you. She'll realise that there are better options out there than some mutated, ugly, lanky...'_

"Come here..."

It sounded so desperate and so broken, but right then, talking to her was the only way to get the damn voice in his head to shut up. He _hated_ depression. He hated not being in control of it, and he hated not being able to understand it even more than the actual illness itself. Anything could trigger these negative thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, he didn't even know why he felt the way he did. The days he couldn't get himself out of bed were the worst, where he'd struggle to even lift his head from the pillow. But, being with Marie was something that Donatello hoped would help. He hoped that taking care of her and maybe even loving her would be enough to help him get through the struggle with his depression, and he hoped that being with him would help her heal her own emotional and mental wounds.

Marie looked up at him with those beautiful silver eyes, and she leant closer to him as he reached out to carefully touch the soft skin of her cheek. Her eyes closed, as did Donatello's, and the turtle leant down to tenderly brush his lips against hers. He heard her take in a small breath, but just as he was about to pull away, he felt her hand wrap around the back of his head, and pull him closer to her. After a moment of their lips touching, they steadily broke apart, and Donatello took the opportunity to carefully move her closer to him.

Tilting her head slightly, Marie leant up again with her lips parted a little further this time, and Donatello carefully moved a curled strand of hair from her face with one of his large fingers, and they kissed again, this time, deeper and more passionate than the first. It took a little while, but again, they found a suitable rhythm and a suitable way to move their mouths together without it being uncomfortable or awkward. With his hands at her waist, Donatello continued to move back onto his bed, and he pulled her with him so that they weren't sat with their torsos half twisted on the edge of the bed.

"I don't think I wanna play video games..." Marie said softly as their kiss broke, a rather dreamy smile coming to her lips, "Do you?"

"No." Donatello replied, moving over her a little so that she'd lay against the pillows, "I don't."

He could feel his glasses slipping down his face, so he carefully took them off and placed them on the bedside table next to them, which gave Marie a proper look at his eyes for the first time. They were so beautiful, glimmering in the dim light of his bedroom, and the teenager couldn't help but grin to herself as she gazed at him lovingly.

She then reached up carefully to touch his face, before moving to then remove his goggles. Donatello went to do that for her as well, and he placed them next to the glasses. Marie thought about removing his mask, but she figured he'd removed enough of his attire for now. The pack on his shell would probably stay, but it wasn't in the way, so she was fine with that. He then reached down to remove his solar panels from his waist, which he then carefully set on the other side of the large bed, far enough away from them so they wouldn't be damaged.

"How blurry am I?" She asked him, smiling up at him as she watched him trying to focus his grey-green gaze, "This isn't hurting your eyes, is it?"

"You're blurry, but... I have more advanced sight than a human so... You're not overly blurry." Donatello replied with a laugh, "You still look beautiful, even if you're a little blurry."

He heard her giggle sweetly and tried to enjoy the feelings of her fingers stroking over the skin of his face and the fabric of his mask. He then leant down to kiss her again and spent most of that kiss trying to ignore that fact that her left leg sneaking out from underneath him. A mental note was taken. She was openly trying to initiate more intimate contact by trying to get him between her legs. Not that he had a problem with that, of course. He was just so aroused that he wanted to be careful not to rush anything, or to scare her off. While she seemed to want more intimate contact, that didn't mean she actually did. For all he knew, she was nervous and just trying to please him, which wasn't what he wanted.

As their lower halves happened to press together, however, even though denim was separating them, and even though he hadn't actually released himself from his lower plastron, a sudden noise seemed to come from his throat that Marie obviously wasn't expecting and that he had been desperately trying to keep back. Donatello's face burned with embarrassment as the last of the deep, gruff churr that had somehow come from him echoed around the room, and he found himself scrambling off of her in a panic. He did not just _churr_ in front of her, did he?

 _'Oh, my God... She must think I'm such a creep! I did not just do that... I didn't just...'_

"What was _that_?" Marie asked him, a wide smile gracing her face, "Wow..."

"I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to..." Donatello breathed, his expression one of horror, "You must think I'm disgusting..."

"Donnie, was that a _churr_?" Marie asked him, moving closer to him, "Are you aroused?"

Donatello was aroused. Incredibly aroused. Feeling the burning of shame growing worse on his cheeks, he couldn't bring himself to look at Marie as she sat in front of him, reaching up to carefully take his face in her hands. Her touch was gentle; soft, like butterfly wings against his cheeks, and as she soothingly stroked them with her thumbs, his lovely grey-green eyes closed, and he lowered his head further.

"It's okay." She reassured him, "It's not disgusting, and you're not disgusting. If you're uncomfortable, we can stop... But, I thought the sound you made was quite sexy... And I'm flattered that you're aroused by me."

She didn't want to stop. Not at all, because she'd been enjoying the sensation of him holding her, kissing her, and being above her like that. But, she could tell that the sudden sound of arousal had startled him, and also that it had deeply embarrassed him. She didn't want to make him feel obligated to continue their make-out session if he wasn't happy to.

"You are?" He asked her, looking up at her hopefully.

Marie nodded and smiled sweetly at him, looking into those beautiful eyes of his. She adored his eyes in particular, but it wasn't the only thing that she loved about his physical body. She loved the tone of his skin, his muscles, his sweet, awkward smiles, and his hands. She really did love his hands, because of their lovely, elegant shape, and because of how safe and warm they made her feel when they touched her.

She continued to caress his cheeks gently as he ducked his head again, and she leant forward slowly to kiss his lips once again, hoping to continue what they'd started. The churr had been a sound that had caused her to pulse between her legs because there was something so erotic and so unusual about it. She wanted to hear it again, so desperately, but now she realised that her boyfriend was probably very timid in terms of intimate contact. That was likely to be due to the fact that he was not only such a gentleman that he wouldn't dare do anything that could be misconstrued as being disrespectful or forward, but also that he probably never expected to share this kind of contact with another person due to his physical differences to humans.

He must've been so self-conscious of the fact that he and Marie were so different, and the eighteen-year-old felt for him. She didn't want her boyfriend to feel that way. Far from it. She wanted him to embrace their differences as she was willing to, and try to work with them to make the best of their intimate, physical relationship.

"You're too good to me..." He whispered as they broke apart, earning a deep, sorrowful frown from his girlfriend, "I don't deserve this... I don't..."

"Shhh..." Marie's voice was so gentle as she moved to hold him this time, embracing him as lovingly as she could, "Don't talk that way, baby... Don't. You're such a sweet, loving person. There are girls out there who would _kill_ to be in my place right now."

"With a mutated freak?" Donatello huffed out a bitter laugh as she pulled away, still unable to meet her gaze, "I doubt it."

"Stop..." She pleaded, her eyes now stinging with the beginnings of tears, "Donnie, you're not a freak. Don't talk like that."

She _despised_ that damn word. It was thrown around so carelessly, and it was quite a hurtful word. It was an evil word, and it was the last thing that Marie would ever think to use as a description for someone like Donatello. The nineteen-year-old looked up at her, regret instantly hitting him hard as he saw the sparkling of her eyes as tears threatened to fill them. Now, he'd gone and made her cry. He could see her fighting it with all that she had, and he'd never thought that his opinion of himself could be so distressing to someone else.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, leaning forward to kiss her tenderly, "I'm sorry..."

"Do you wanna stop?" She asked him, reiterating the earlier question while ignoring the tears in her eyes, "We can if you're not comfortable."

Donatello shook his head, trying desperately to push down the negative thoughts that were threatening to fill his head. He leant forward slowly again, and their lips met in a shy, gentle kiss. Their breath ghosted over each other's lips as they then met for a more passionate kiss, their mouths moving slowly together as Donatello started to slowly ease her back towards the pillows, and then carefully, he pushed her down onto her back, settling between her legs as she'd wanted him to before...

* * *

Christmas Day came quicker than expected, and after spending the day with the children at the orphanage, Marie was going to spend the next couple of days with the turtles, thankfully, with Lauren and Dan's permission. A week had passed since Marie's first visit to the lair, and she couldn't believe that she'd met such a wonderful and unique family. The end to her 2014 had been a very positive one, and she could now only hope for better things. What made the situation much easier was that Leonardo seemed to be making an effort to be nice to her, yet Marie still had the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach that he didn't like her, and was only making the effort for his brother's benefit.

"Marie? Honey, are you all packed?"

Lauren's voice was sweet and soft as she called through the bedroom door to the teenager, and then she stepped inside, offering Marie a warm smile. Lauren was such a pretty woman, Marie thought, with her light blonde hair and her lovely blue eyes. She had a lovely complexion and such nice looking features, that it was no wonder Dan had fallen in love with her so quickly. She was sweet, understanding, kind and generous, and she tried to give Marie as much privacy and independence as possible, which, especially now, Marie was grateful for. She'd been a hugely positive influence on Marie's life from the moment that she was first taken to the orphanage following her parents' death.

"Almost." Marie replied, packing her pyjamas into her small overnight bag, "Donnie's gonna meet me halfway. He doesn't live far."

"Oh, okay... Do you want a lift from Dan? He's offered to take you if you want." Lauren asked gently, brushing a lock of her shoulder-length hair behind her ear before straightening out the sleeves of her green and white striped top.

"Thanks, but it really isn't far to walk, and I'll be sure to text you when I'm safe with Donnie." Marie promised with a smile, "He'll take good care of me, Lauren."

"I know. I know." Lauren said softly, "As long as you're sure. It's not safe to be walking these streets at night. I know it's only early evening, but..."

"I know, but Donnie wouldn't let anything happen to me." Marie said again, nodding to try and reassure her guardian, "I'll text you when we're at his place too if you like. I'll keep you updated."

"I'd really appreciate it if you did." Lauren said with a smile, moving closer to her surrogate daughter and rubbing her back gently, "He sounds like a good guy."

"He's the best." Marie replied instantly, grinning up at Lauren, "Honestly, he's an angel."

"Well, hopefully, we'll get to meet him soon." Lauren said, winking at her playfully, "Do you need me to get anything for you?"

"My birth control, and my toothbrush, please. They're in the bathroom on the sink."

Lauren nodded and went to Marie's bathroom to get what she'd asked for. The minute they'd found out that she was dating someone, Lauren and Dan had made an appointment for her to see a doctor and get birth control because they didn't want her to have any unexpected surprises from any physical intimacy with her boyfriend. Marie understood perfectly, and she was happy to go and get the contraception because she didn't want any unexpected surprises either.

"Okay, here you go." Lauren said sweetly, handing Marie the toiletries, before folding her arms as she watched the eighteen-year-old zip up the bag, "Now, have you done all your homework?"

"Yeah, it's been done for about a week. I just have a little more work to do on that last painting, but I can finish that when I get back." Marie replied with a smile.

"Do you have your anxiety medication?" Lauren asked her, earning a nod from the teenager, "Good. Okay, well make sure you come and say goodbye to us before you head out, okay? Dan wouldn't like to miss you before you leave us."

"I'm only going for a couple of days." Marie laughed, reaching up to hug Lauren tightly, "I'll be fine."

Lauren held Marie that little bit tighter. She and Dan treated the girl as their own daughter. They loved her dearly, and they only wanted the best for her. Dan hadn't been overjoyed about Marie dating someone who she wouldn't let him meet, but he was just so delighted that she actually was dating someone, he didn't really have the heart to stop her from seeing the boy in question. Lauren was so happy that Marie had met someone who could make her happy. If anyone deserved to feel loved and to feel happy it was Marie after all of the problems she'd had over the past fifteen years.

They'd spent hours upon hours of time trying to soothe Marie as a child when she had night terrors, or she felt sad about the fact that people didn't seem to want to come and adopt her. No-one wanted to deal with the sleepwalking, the night terrors, the codependence or the anxiety, so Marie had grown up seeing other children go to a new home while she was being neglected by people looking to adopt. It had been a very difficult fifteen years, but Lauren and Dan were so proud of how well she'd turned out, despite the trials she'd faced in her younger years.

"I'm just gonna go and start giving the younger kids their baths." Lauren told her softly, "You know where to find me before you go. Oh! Have you got your bag of presents for Donnie and his family?"

"Yes." Marie said with a proud nod, "And the Christmas card from you and Dan."

"Good." Lauren nodded approvingly, "See you in a few, honey."

With that, she left the room and Marie let out a sigh of relief, before grabbing her winter clothes from her closet. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate her surrogate mother's concern because she appreciated everything that Lauren and Dan had done for her throughout her life. It was just... She was legally an adult. She felt almost as if they were babying her and patronising her, which she knew in her heart wasn't the intention, but... She only had six months to go and she'd be her own woman, free to come and go as she liked. Feeling a little excited at this newfound knowledge, Marie texted Donatello once she was dressed, and she grabbed her overnight bag, and then the big bag of gifts that sat next to her desk. She headed down the stairs towards the entrance to the building, and she found Lauren and Dan both wrestling with two of the four-year-olds, Grace and Millie, who were determined not to have their bath time.

"Okay, I'm going!" Marie called over the screaming children, only to be approached by her surrogate father, who brought a very angry Millie with him.

Dan was a lovely man, dark-haired, bright-eyed and handsome, and he had a heart of gold. He could be a little overprotective on occasion but Marie loved him so much because he always tried to encourage her in everything she did, and he was always there for her when she needed him. He gave her a hug while trying to keep a hold of the little red-haired girl, who was absolutely adamant that she wasn't going in the bath.

"Let us know you're safe, okay?" He said quietly, pressing a kiss to her hair, "Have fun, and take care."

"I will." Marie promised, looking down at Millie who was still screaming, her little denim-clad legs kicking in all directions, "Good luck."

"Thanks." Dan laughed, moving past her with the angry child so that Marie could go and say goodbye to Lauren.

Within a few minutes, she was out onto the street, and she quickly set off towards a nearby alleyway, where Donatello would be waiting for her. True to his word, there he was, standing by a manhole cover in the darkness of the alleyway, and the only reason that Marie saw him in the first place was because a passing car headlight had reflected in the lenses of his glasses. She smiled and broke into a run, setting her bags down carefully before wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips to his.

Donatello smiled into the kiss and squeezed her to him, excited that he was going to have the next couple of days to spend with her as he pleased, and even more excited that Splinter was happy for the two to share his bed. He'd asked his father about sleeping arrangements, and he asked if Splinter wouldn't mind Marie sleeping in his room. Splinter said that Donatello didn't need to ask his permission for anything of the kind and that he and Marie were responsible adults, and they could organise the sleeping arrangements in whatever way they pleased. So, Donatello had quite bravely asked Marie if she wanted to share his bed, and she'd sounded quite eager to, so it saved Donatello the effort of having to make an extra bed up for her.

They broke their kiss rather quickly, grinning at each other in the cold air. Marie looked adorable in her hat and scarf, with her cheeks and nose red from the cold, and her eyes glittering with anticipation for spending the next couple of days with the purple-clad turtle, whose eyes were also sparkling with the same anticipation as hers were.

"Hi!" She said excitedly, "Merry Christmas! I have presents for you all."

Donatello laughed softly as she handed him the huge bag of gifts, which he took carefully into his hands. He looked down into the bag and saw wrapping paper of a variety of colours, and it was quite obvious that a lot of care had been put into the wrapping of the presents.

"Thanks. We've got some for you, too." He told her, bending down to lift off the manhole cover, "Let's get to the lair. It's much warmer in there than it is out here."

He took her other bag and jumped down into the sewers first, placing them on the floor before he climbed back up to get Marie. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he jumped down with her, placing the cover back over the manhole, before picking up the bags again. Marie took her overnight bag, and then the two set off walking towards the lair, hand in hand.

As always, they had plenty to talk about, and before they knew where they were, they'd arrived at the lair. Marie was greeted with smiles, cheerful voices, and the smell of pizza wafting through the air. April ran forward with her arms outstretched, wrapping Marie up in a warm hug as she wished her a merry Christmas and babbled excitedly about how much fun they'd all have over the next couple of days. Each of the brothers then approached to say hello, and Michelangelo instantly ran off with the bag of presents, desperate to find out what Marie had bought for him.

"Mikey!" Donatello scolded, moving to help Marie out of her coat, "Calm down!"

"He's fine." Marie said softly as she took off her hat, rubbing Donatello's arm gently, "Honestly, it's fine. I'll go put my things in your room."

"Put your pyjamas on!" April called to her sweetly, "It's a Christmas tradition!"

Donatello watched after Marie worriedly for a moment. He hoped that this wasn't too soon for her to spend the night. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but he was hoping that they could advance their physical relationship, even if only a little. He then turned to see Michelangelo arranging the presents Marie had brought for them all into little piles, while April got the presents that everyone else had bought for Marie out from under the couch.

Leonardo approached with a tray of mugs full of hot chocolate and sat it on the coffee table for the others to get their drinks as Raphael then came forward with boxes of pizza. Marie appeared only moments later, looking rather awkward as she stepped closer to them in her dark blue and white snowflake pyjamas, and thick dark blue socks. April got up to go to her, sporting her very own green, red and grey elf pyjamas, before pulling the nervous teenager towards the couch.

"Presents!" Michelangelo yelled excitedly, earning a glare from Donatello as Marie sat next to him on the couch, looking anxious.

"Eat first, Michelangelo." Splinter said quietly, smiling up at the teenage girl who was settled into Donatello's side, "Did you have a nice Christmas at home, Marie?"

"Yes, thanks." Marie replied quietly, reaching for a slice of pizza, "The kids had a really great time. Dan and Lauren always make Christmas extra special for them. Have you guys had a good day?"

"Yeah, because April cooked Christmas Dinner." Raphael said with a grin, welcoming April into his arms as she moved to get onto the beanbag chairs with him, which he was haphazardly sprawled across, "Mikey cooked it last year and made us all sick."

"Hey, I got my timings mixed up!" Michelangelo protested with a frown, "At least I made the effort."

"Yeah, you made the effort, I guess." Raphael muttered, reaching for a slice of pizza as April delicately nibbled her own, resting against his chest, "Anyway, there's no danger of us getting sick this year."

Following the pizza, a very excited Michelangelo ran to the kitchen to deposit the empty pizza boxes, and the group finally sat down to open up their Christmas presents.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	9. Making Moves

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! I know this chapter's up a little earlier than usual, but I'm not going to be here this evening to upload it. I'll be having a pizza night with my boyfriend, my mother and my sister so I'll be away for most of the evening, and I may be too tired to upload when I get back. This chapter contains _**slightly mature content**_ , just to pre-warn those of you who aren't into that sort of thing. Thanks so much for the support so far. I'm so pleased to see more people reviewing this fic, favouriting it, following it and reading it. It really does make me feel awesome, so thank you!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** There are some more intimate moments between our couple throughout the rest of this fic, so you'll get some lemon scenes at some point, but I won't say when they'll be ;) Thanks for the review.

 **Xahraxs:** Lol, I can be a bit mean that way! Thanks for reviewing :D

 **J:** Luckily, you haven't had to wait long. Thanks for the review! I imagine it must be very hard, when you're so different from everyone else around you, to not consider yourself freakish. Poor Donnie :( I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks! I just tend to think quite logically when I write these things. Marie seems sensible enough to do something like that so... :D I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for consistently reviewing. It means so much to me!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Nine: Making Moves }**

After the opening of the presents, the group retired to their individual rooms to spend the rest of the evening as they pleased.

Donatello, who was already feeling nervous about ' _putting the moves_ ' on Marie to take their relationship to a somewhat more physical level, was also anxious about giving her the present he'd made her for Christmas. They'd saved their gifts, as April and Raphael had saved theirs, so they could open them together, and Donatello could only hope that Marie would like what he'd made for her.

He'd changed his bedding that day, so now, he had a plain, dark grey bedspread, and he'd left a clean towel on the bed for Marie for when she used the shower. He'd tried to make it look welcoming but now... He thought it looked rather formal. Almost like how he pictured a hotel room to look. He inwardly cringed, thinking that maybe he'd made Marie feel uncomfortable and weird, which he didn't want.

"Are you ready for your present?" Her sweet voice brought him out of his thoughts, and Donatello turned to her, smiling brightly as she moved to sit on the bed so that she could get his gift out of the bag.

"Yeah, I'll just get yours..." He said softly, moving to his storage chest to lift the carefully wrapped box out, which contained her present, "Happy Christmas."

He handed her the box carefully and then leant down to kiss her, before joining her on the bed and taking the box that she passed to him. He hoped she hadn't spent a fortune on him because he knew she'd need as much money as possible for the summer when she left home and started out on her own.

"Open yours first." She said with a smile, "It's not much, but I'll explain it when you open it."

Donatello carefully unwrapped the present and then lifted the lid from the shoebox that was inside, to find a mug, a purple alarm clock, and a small purple pillow. He looked up at Marie with a questioning expression and a rather strange smile. He then took out the mug first, which said, 'I'm a genius!' on the side of it in purple, cartoon-like font. When he then took out the alarm clock, he felt Marie's hand on his arm, and she leant closer to him as she pressed her lips to his shoulder, which almost caused him to shiver with delight.

"This is to set an alarm so that you remember to actually go to bed." Marie said in a near whisper, "It's for your lab. And the pillow..."

She gently took it out of the box and handed it to him, while he carefully put the mug back in the box.

"The pillow is there in case you need to take a power nap at your desk."

Donatello found that the gifts were incredibly thoughtful, and it made him feel emotional to think that she'd actually given him things he could use for his work. She clearly understood how important his work was to him, and she knew him well enough to realise that he liked useful gifts and that he would probably use everything she'd given him.

"Thank you." He said quietly, swallowing down the sudden lump that had risen in his throat, "That's so thoughtful..."

Marie smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek, leaning her head against his as he examined his gifts carefully. He leant back against her and closed his eyes briefly to savour the contact, while she kissed him once again, her lips lingering against his cheek. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have someone so special. He was lucky to have anybody want to be with him, but a girl like her...? She had beauty, talent, and a wonderfully good heart. She could have anyone she wanted, yet she'd chosen him. How blessed he was.

"Do you like them?" She asked, sounding unsure, "I kept the receipts just in case..."

"I _love_ them." He said, gazing at her warmly, "Really, Marie. Thank you."

He then leant forward, and carefully placed his lips against hers to offer her a tender kiss. Marie parted her lips to deepen the kiss, her heart throbbing wildly in her chest as she felt him cup her cheek with one of his large hands. His touch was always so gentle and so cautious, as though one wrong move could break her.

"It's your turn." He said softly as they broke apart, nodding towards the box in her hands.

Marie smiled brightly and carefully unwrapped the box, opening it to find what looked like a custom-built gaming headset inside. Her heart stopped. Had he built this for her? She'd told him about three weeks ago that hers was playing up and she didn't think it would last much longer, and she couldn't afford to buy a good one.

"I know yours wasn't working as it should." Donatello said gently, "This one's got all the specs of the best headsets you can get... And it's got a customisable light. There's a disc underneath with software I've designed so that you can customise the sound, the colour of the lights, and the power settings."

He'd even used hot pink plastic to coat the actual earphones and the end of the microphone. Where he'd found such a material, Marie didn't know, but she was so moved by the thought of the present that she couldn't speak. She didn't have the best gaming system, or the best gaming keyboard or mouse, and her headset had been one of her best pieces of gaming equipment. When it started to break, Marie hadn't wanted to ask Donatello to look at it for her, since she knew he was busy. She couldn't believe he'd actually built one for her.

"What is it?" He asked, a little panicked by the appearance of tears in her eyes, "D-Don't you like it?"

"Oh, Donnie..." Marie breathed out, handling the headset so carefully, "It's wonderful... Thank you."

She offered him an almost tearful smile before she carefully placed the headset back in its box, set it beside her on the bed, and then wound her arms around Donatello once more, burying her face in his neck. She was moved beyond words that he'd done something so lovely for her, even though they'd only been together a couple of weeks. Donatello held her lovingly, smiling to himself with pride and with utter joy.

"I'm glad you like it." He said, his face lit up with a beaming grin, "Now, how do you feel about watching a movie?"

Marie looked into his eyes, overcome by how beautiful they were. The soft shade of his irises was just irresistible, and she felt lust starting to blossom within her as she gazed at him. She didn't want to watch a movie. Not at all. It might be useful to have a movie playing as background noise, but the last thing that she wanted to do was watch a movie. She was feeling rather brave, and she wanted nothing but to be in the embrace of her boyfriend.

 _'Maybe I can be brave enough to let him take my top off...'_ She thought to herself with a blush, _'I hope he doesn't find my chest disappointing if he_ does _happen to take my shirt off...'_

She didn't want to make him uncomfortable by suggesting anything more risqué, so she simply nodded, allowing Donatello to take both boxes and put them safely in his storage chest. She hoped they could get snuggled up in his bed, and now that she thought about it, watching a movie together while curled up in bed with him sounded more than a little appetising. Being in his arms had quickly become one of her most favourite things in the world, and every opportunity she had to be in his arms, she'd take.

"Which side of the bed would you like?" He asked her, drawing her from her thoughts.

"Oh, any..." Marie said softly, grinning warmly at him.

"Well, I usually gravitate towards the right, so... I'll take the right." Donatello replied, giving her a rather awkward smile, "What movie would you like to watch?"

Marie watched him walk around to his side of the bed and then averted her eyes as he started to take off his gear. She definitely didn't want to watch a horror movie. It would make her either incredibly paranoid, or incredibly queasy, and that wasn't how she was planning to spend her evening. Romance seemed too corny, action probably wasn't Donatello's thing... Maybe comedy? What comedy movies did she like?

She glanced back again and saw him taking off his glasses to then remove his mask, and as he pulled the material away from his face, she felt her heart skip as she looked at his bare face for the first time. Oh, he really was beautiful... Marie had never seen a sight like it. He slid his glasses back onto his now bare face and smiled at her, starting to slowly unwrap the purple material from his arms.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"Sorry, I don't mean to stare." She muttered, "I just think you're so beautiful..."

Donatello gazed at her for a moment, before giving her another adorably awkward smile. He then finished undressing, pulled back the thick covers and got into bed, clearing his throat as a blush covered his cheeks. He knew that he should probably respond with a compliment, and tell her that he thought her very beautiful as well, but he couldn't speak because of the sudden lump in his throat. He'd never heard that term associated with him before, and it had actually hit him quite hard to think that someone could see him as beautiful, rather than the ugly freak he thought of himself as. He swallowed thickly and gazed at her, beckoning her closer to him.

"I think you're beautiful, too." He told her as she steadily got under the covers to lay with him, "So... Do you want to pick something to watch?"

He lifted his arm slowly, trying to control his sudden change in breathing as she snuggled up to him. In truth, it wasn't a very comfortable position to lay in. His plastron was solid, and it hurt her breasts to be resting against it like that. Donatello could tell she was rather uncomfortable, so he eased her upward and grabbed one of the pillows she'd be using, setting it between them so she could lay with him comfortably.

Smiling awkwardly, and clearly feeling guilty, Marie eased herself down to rest against him, sighing contentedly as he wrapped one arm around her waist, and then grabbed the remote for the television with the other hand. He loved the feeling of holding her, even if there was a pillow between them. They settled on watching _You've Got Mail_ , since Marie had always wanted to see it, and the two were very comfortable and warm in Donatello's large bed, watching the movie in the dim light of the room.

About half way through, Donatello realised that Marie was looking at him, studying his mask-less face. He could hardly blame her. He was unusual to look at, so, she'd obviously be curious. She'd called him 'beautiful'. He didn't know whether to believe it or not... Him? Beautiful? No. He was a big, lanky, four-eyed freak. He rested his head against hers, letting out a long, weary sigh as he heard the voice in his head returning to taunt him.

 _'Yeah... Enjoy it while it lasts. She only says she thinks you're beautiful because she pities you. That's why she's with you, Donnie, you idiot. She feels pity for the poor, mutated turtle who has a pathetic crush on her. You'll never be loved by her. Never.'_

"Hey, what is it?"

The next thing he knew, Marie was sitting up next to him, looking at him with concern. That was when he felt the burning in his eyes, and he realised he was becoming tearful. He was _not_ going to get upset or upset her on Christmas Day. Absolutely not. The voice in his head was beyond wrong. Marie did care about him. She did want to be with him. It wasn't pity, was it? It couldn't be.

"Sweetie, please talk to me..." Marie whispered, reaching out to gently cup his face, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." He promised, leaning forward to softly kiss her lips, "Nothing at all."

Marie nodded, leaning up to kiss him again with a look in her eyes that told Donatello that she wasn't convinced about his response to her question. He then became very conscious of what he believed to be a sudden onset of... Was that _arousal_? As the scent of the air changed and with a small intake of breath, he suddenly registered the feeling of her nipples brushing against his plastron through her pyjama top. She wasn't wearing a bra.

 _'Oh, God... She isn't wearing a bra!'_ He thought, excitement rushing through him at the realisation, _'Her breasts are completely bare under that shirt... Maybe she'll let me take it off... Maybe...'_

Then, he started to realise how lecherous he sounded. He almost shuddered, barely able to believe that he'd been thinking so selfishly, and in such a perverted manner. Although, from the way her pupils were now blown as he looked into her eyes, and from the scent of her arousal growing heavier in the air, Donatello couldn't help but wonder if she wanted to take things further too. They looked at one another, and slowly Donatello took his glasses off and placed them on his bedside table before he leant down to kiss her again. He then removed the pillow from between them to bring them even closer together, and he heard Marie let out a small gasp as he captured her lips in a deep, tender kiss.

He could feel her trying to pull him downward, so he complied and slowly eased himself on top of her, settling between her legs. As they kissed, Marie let out a contented sigh, cupping Donatello's face tenderly with her small hands. He pulled back to look at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and her bright smile, which were visible to him, even though they were a little blurry. She was just so beautiful, and most certainly way out of his league, but he tried to shut up the negative voice in his head, and tried to be thankful that he had her, rather than wondering how long it would take her to up and leave him when she realised she could do better.

Her elegant features were coated in a deep blush, and her silver eyes glittered as he ran his hand through her chocolate brown hair, before cupping the back of her head and pulling her in for yet another kiss. He then felt her push her lower half towards his, and the same sound that had caused him so much embarrassment the last time it escaped from him, echoed into the space of his bedroom. Marie loved to hear him churr, and she'd only had the pleasure of hearing such a sound once.

Then, she felt a large hand slip under the fabric of her pyjama top, and three long, thick, almost possessive fingers squeezed at her petite waist, causing her to let out a quaking breath. Oh, she was unbelievably turned on... More so than she ever had been before. His hand then started to venture further upward, and as his fingers brushed against the underside of her breast, Marie let out a soft, breathy moan into their kiss.

For a brief moment, Donatello's heart ceased to beat. That sound... Oh, that sound... It sent a pulse of pleasure through him, causing him to become even more aroused than he was already. He never believed in a million years that he would get the opportunity to experience anything like this, and now, as he and his girlfriend kissed in this rather intimate embrace, he tried to gather the courage to actually make a move and see if she'd allow him to take her top off. It seemed like such a juvenile way to think, but Donatello had never done this before, and neither had Marie.

"Marie?" He asked gently, swallowing thickly to try and calm his nerves as his fingers curled gently around the hem of her top, "D-Do you...? Would you mind if I...?"

"Go ahead..." Marie encouraged him in a soft, shaky voice, "It's okay."

Taking a deep breath, Donatello slowly started to ease the shirt upward, and he slowly lowered his head, daring to plant kisses on her bare, flat stomach. He felt her shiver a little beneath him, but then he felt her hands gently cupping his bare head, and he briefly looked up at her to see her head tipping back against the pillows. She was _loving_ it, and it made the nineteen-year-old feel rather proud that he was making her feel good already.

He then pushed the fabric up further, and she sat up quickly, taking it from him before slowly sliding it over her head. She was now left before him in nothing but her pyjama bottoms, and she quickly reached down to remove the thick socks she had on her feet since now she felt way too warm to be wearing them. Just as she was about to settle back against the pillows, she found herself being pulled forwards, and Donatello's lips were once again on hers. He shivered as her bare breasts gently moved against his plastron as she melted in his arms, and he was so lost in her that he thought he was dreaming.

He felt her hands shifting between them and he stilled, realising she was pulling down her pyjama bottoms. Worried that he was suddenly freaking out, Marie broke their kiss and gently stroked his cheek in an attempt to reassure him. She was uncomfortable in the clothing now that her body was so warm, but if he wasn't comfortable with seeing her so exposed to him, she wouldn't put him in an awkward position.

"They're getting tangled around my legs and it's uncomfortable..." She whispered against his lips, "I can leave them on if you want but I've got panties on underneath."

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable." Donatello purred, his own eyes now blown with lust.

 _'Where did_ that _come from?'_ He thought, moving back to allow her to free her legs from the discomfort they were experiencing, _'Okay... Be calm, and be controlled. Just enjoy being like this with her... No need to rush anything.'_

Marie gently threw the pyjamas and socks towards the foot of the bed before cautiously leaning up to kiss Donatello's neck. The turtle's eyes rolled as he leant into the touch, letting out a quiet moan as Marie drew her legs up around him, the smooth limbs resting against his strong, scaled thighs. The feeling of her lips and tongue against his neck was amazing and incredibly arousing, as was the feeling of her soft skin against his thighs. It was so intimate and so _sexy_ that Donatello was finding it hard to keep control of himself.

 _'Why is she doing this with me?'_ He thought, shuddering as he felt her tongue slowly flick against his skin, _'How can she stand to touch me this way... I'm disgusting... I have scales, rough skin, callouses...'_

"Donnie, are you sure you're okay?" Marie's voice drew the turtle out of his thoughts, and she gazed at him with a look of uncertainty in her eyes, "I'm sorry... Was this too soon?"

"I'm fine." He replied gently, kissing her lips, "I just can't believe I'm experiencing this right now..."

He finally let his eyes wander over her, his gaze falling to her bare torso and the white silk panties that kept the most intimate part of her body exposed. She was slender, slightly toned, and her skin was pale and smooth, apart from the odd freckle. She started to shrink away from him a little, clearly feeling shy, and Donatello found himself feeling like the biggest pervert who ever existed.

"I'm sorry..." He said quietly, "I don't mean to stare..."

Marie simply cupped his face and started to lay back against the pillows, pulling him with her. They kissed again, this time almost desperately, and the turtle felt a deep churr rumble from his chest as Marie's lower half pushed upward against his. He then started to move his lips delicately across the soft flesh of her jaw, and then lowered his head to her neck, causing her to let out a quaking sigh as she closed her eyes and her slender fingers cupped the back of his head. He started to trail lower, continuing to gently press his hips down against hers in a slow, languid rhythm, and then finally, he closed his mouth carefully around her left breast and started to roll his tongue over the warm flesh in lazy circles.

Marie let out a small, harsh breath in response, and her back started to arch slightly as he then moved his hand to toy with her other breast, which was now exposed to the cold of the room. Not wanting her to feel that her other breast was being neglected, Donatello broke away from her to move across to her right breast, which he then took into his mouth. He was so turned on by the sounds she was making, and the scent of the fruity shower gel she'd used before she'd left home earlier in the evening. Strawberry. It was delicious... _She_ was delicious, and it was taking all of Donatello's strength to keep himself tucked away.

"Donnie?!"

Leonardo's voice startled Donatello so much that he shot up away from Marie like lightning, and both of them stared at the shutter that the eldest turtle was currently knocking on, their eyes wide and chests heaving from the shock. He called to his younger brother, not sounding panicked, but not sounding exactly jovial either.

"The TV in Dad's room has lost its sound again. I checked the cables and they're plugged in right, but the sound still isn't working." Leonardo called, causing Donatello to roll his eyes and instantly go to dress himself.

"Just give me a sec, Leo!" He called back, looking to Marie who was reaching for her pyjama top, "Sorry, Marie... Do you mind if I go and take a look? I bet I'll have it fixed in a few minutes."

"Not at all." Marie smiled at him sweetly, pulling her pyjama top over her head before hiding the bottoms and her socks under the covers, which she then pulled over her lower half, "Go ahead."

Donatello tied his mask around his eyes, slipped his glasses onto his face, and he then quickly leant across to kiss her once more before he went to the shutter, opening it slowly and then stepping underneath it to go and speak to his brother. He closed it behind him, leaving Marie alone in the bedroom. She eased herself up and out of bed, and took her pyjama bottoms and socks to her bag, where she carefully folded them and placed them on top.

She returned to the bed afterwards, trying to keep her attention on the movie instead of thinking about what had just been happening between her and Donatello. The end of the movie came more quickly than Marie had anticipated, and she found that she'd quite enjoyed it. With no sign of Donatello, Marie decided to choose something else to watch while she waited for him to come back. However, an hour later, Donatello _still_ hadn't come back. She didn't know if she'd be able to open the shutter because it looked very heavy, and she didn't want to make herself seem needy by texting him. If he was helping out his Dad, she had no right to interfere.

At the end of the second movie, Donatello hadn't come back, and Marie was now starting to get anxious. What if she'd scared him off? What if it had been too much, and he was using Leonardo's distraction as an excuse to be away from her. Maybe he hadn't liked her body. Maybe... Maybe he was starting to have second thoughts about their relationship. The anxiety was eating away at her for quite some time, and all she could think about was how he wasn't going to come back and she'd be shut in this room all by herself without him while he was probably doing everything he possibly could to avoid her.

Before she realised what was happening, Marie was sat upright, trying to get her breath. Her anxiety had escalated into a panic attack and the realisation actually caused her current panicked state to get even worse. She'd never had a panic attack before, and no matter how she tried, she couldn't get her breath. She started to become frightened, shaking violently as she found herself unable to breathe. She'd only ever experienced anxiety attacks... Not panic attacks. What was she supposed to do? Breathing slowly didn't help, and breathing quickly certainly didn't help. Her chest was hurting now, and the only thing she wanted was to be with Donatello because she knew that he'd know what to do and how to help her.

The shutter. The shutter was the only thing separating her from the rest of the lair. She tried to ease herself out of the bed to get to the big metal door, but as soon as her feet touched the floor, her legs gave way. She was now hyperventilating, eyes full of tears and face flushed, and the only thing she could do to mobilise herself was to use every ounce of her strength to pull herself across the floor to the door. Raising a hand, she started banging on the shutter in threes, hoping to get someone's attention. Her vision was fading. She couldn't get any air. She felt like she was dying, and the pain in her chest was unbearable.

Suddenly, the shutter was thrown up, and Leonardo was standing before her, a look of horror present on his face. She could only hear her own wheezing breaths and her pounding heartbeat in her ears, but Leonardo wasted no time in scooping her up into his arms bridal style before he bolted, looking for his younger brother. Her skin was clammy, and her body trembled in Leonardo's arms as a new, faint and muffled sound hit her ears above her heartbeat.

 _"Donnie!"_ Leonardo was shouting, yelling for Donatello to come to him, _"Donnie! It's Marie!"_

Marie found herself being gathered up by somebody else, and she finally set her eyes on Donatello, who was looking into her eyes to try and focus her attention on him. He cupped her chin in his fingers and kept her head directed at him, and Marie realised soon enough that they were sat on the floor, and that Donatello was trying to get her to control her breathing.

The purple-clad turtle set Marie on the floor against one of the cabinets in his lab and started to try to help her calm down. He did his best to get her attention, talking to her in a controlled, calm, but authoritative voice, and soon enough, Marie felt the ability to breathe properly returning to her. She was drenched with sweat, her face soaked with tears, and as she weakly tried to reach for Donatello, the turtle then carefully lifted her exhausted, sagging body into his arms, and held her close to him, trying to comfort her by rubbing her back, and breathing with her.

Leonardo rushed to the kitchen to get Marie a glass of water, while the rest of the family arrived at the lab to find out what all the yelling had been about. Marie tried to talk, but Donatello told her to keep breathing instead so that she could calm down.

However, before anybody could so much as ask about, or explain what was going on, Marie's world fell into darkness, and she collapsed, unconscious in Donatello's arms.

 **~To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	10. Hidden Truths

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone. Here's chapter 10. I hope you enjoy it, and I just want to thank you all again for the support so far. It's helping me through a tough time, so... You honestly don't realise how things like this help me feel better when depression's kicking my ass. We're over half way through this story now, and I've started work on the sequel. I will be posting the summary and title for that fic at the end of this story.

 **The Silvernote:** Yeah, I didn't want Leo to be an ass the whole time because we all know he isn't an ass really :P

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Lol I always figured that Donnie might be the kinky type behind closed doors, so why not let us see his frisky side :P I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

 **J:** I'm glad you're enjoying the fic. I like to do unexpected things :D It keeps you guys on the edge of your seats!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Lol, I do like to try and bring humour into more serious situations to ease the tension. I'm glad you're liking the fic so far.

Happy reading!

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 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Ten: Hidden Truths }**

"What was _that_?" Leonardo asked, looking utterly stunned at his younger brother.

"A panic attack..." Donatello said, a hint of anger lacing his voice, "Her anxiety medication is supposed to make the symptoms of her anxiety better, not worse. So, she's either on the wrong medication... Or she isn't taking it."

"Why would she not take it?" Michelangelo asked, looking at her worriedly.

"It doesn't make sense." Donatello shook his head, reaching to feel Marie's pulse, "I don't know why she wouldn't take it. She was fine when I left her in there. She knew the shutter wasn't locked. I don't know what could've caused her to have such an extreme attack..."

"You said anything can cause them." Leonardo said, folding his arms after setting the glass of water down.

"Yeah, but for her to have a panic attack, it must've been something serious, Leo..." Donatello replied, biting his lip worriedly as he looked over Marie's prone form, "She can't be avoiding her meds... She isn't... She doesn't make bad decisions like that."

"It's okay, Donnie..." April stepped forward slowly and crouched next to Donatello, whose eyes were now moving frantically as he looked over his unconscious girlfriend, "We'd better go and put her in bed, don't you think?"

Donatello swallowed thickly and nodded, standing up with the girl in his arms before hastily making his way into his bedroom. April cast a worried glance back at the boys before she grabbed the glass of water and followed Donatello into his room. The brothers stood waiting patiently, to see if there was anything they could do. Splinter, who had been standing close by, walked towards Donatello's bedroom after his second youngest son, and April, trying to offer the tallest turtle some comfort.

"How is she?" His voice was very gentle as he spoke to the upset teenager.

"Her blood pressure's stabilising." Donatello said quietly, moving past his father as he removed his goggles from his head to go to Marie's side as she stirred, "Marie?"

He took a hold of her hand as the teenager started to regain consciousness, and when she saw him, her eyes filled with tears. She felt so embarrassed and so ashamed, firstly for having the attack in the first place, and secondly, for causing clear worry and concern for Donatello's family. She heard him gently hush her as he stroked a hand over her damp forehead and hair, while April carefully handed him the glass of water, which he placed on the bedside table next to her.

"Marie, I need you to be honest with me." Donatello said in a tender voice, "Have you been taking your anxiety meds?"

Marie hadn't. She didn't like how they tasted, they made her feel very nauseous, and she'd found lately that they hadn't been helping her at all. Her anxiety was just as bad as it always had been. Feeling another wave of shame wash over her, Marie shook her head, watching with guilt-filled eyes as Donatello ran a hand over his face and let out a harsh breath. She knew how upset he'd be because of her admission, but she couldn't _lie_ to him. She'd been washing her meds down the drain rather than taking them because she just couldn't stand to put something in her body that was horrible, and that didn't work.

"Why haven't you been taking them?" He asked her, "If Leo hadn't heard you hitting the shutter... Marie, _why_ haven't you been taking them?!"

The words weren't loud, but they were full of emotion, as were his eyes, and Marie found herself wanting the bed to swallow her up. She felt so guilty. So _ashamed_. Slowly, April and Splinter started to back out of the room, and Marie suddenly felt like she was about to get scolded like a child at school who'd been caught misbehaving by a teacher.

"Call us if you need anything, Donnie." April said gently, easing Splinter out of the room carefully before pulling the shutter down behind her.

Marie turned her attention back to Donatello, who was now shaking with what she thought was anger. She felt the anxiety coming back again, and as soon as their eyes met, she saw Donatello's expression soften, almost as if he knew that she was feeling anxious. Donatello could see it in her eyes, and he knew that she thought he was mad at her, so to make sure that he didn't send her into another potential panic attack, he knew that the softer approach would be better used at this point, rather than him coming across as being angry.

"Shhh..." He hushed her again as a tear fell down her face and he ran his hand over her head once more, "I'm not angry. I'm worried about you. Why aren't you taking your meds?"

"They make me feel sick..." Marie muttered, "A-And they don't work. I'm not going to put drugs in my body that don't work."

Donatello looked at her sadly, tightening his hold on her hand. He then ran his free hand over his face again, averting his eyes so that he was staring at the wall, clearly in deep contemplation. Marie tried to sit up. She wanted to apologise, and to hug and kiss him. She didn't want to see that look on his face anymore. She didn't want him to be upset with her anymore.

"Marie..." Instantly, Donatello was trying to get her to lay back down, but she simply pulled herself up using his arms, and then threw hers around his neck, gripping him tightly as she started to cry.

This was far from the way Donatello had wanted things to be that night. The last thing he'd wanted was for her to become ill. The last thing he'd wanted to hear was her apologising for something that she couldn't control. He bit his lip as she whispered apologies over and over again, and he rubbed her back gently as he rested his head against hers.

"It's okay." He breathed out, "It's alright. Just... Promise me that you'll tell Lauren and Dan that the medication you're on isn't working. _Promise_ me..."

"I-I promise." Marie stuttered against his shoulder, "I'm sorry. I-I don't know what happened... You didn't come back, and I..."

Donatello stilled. He'd left her alone too long. It was his fault. He'd been distracted by some other repairs he'd needed to do in father's room. He hadn't been keeping track of time. Marie must've thought that he wasn't intending to go back to her. Abandonment. Fifteen years of rejection and the death of her parents had turned a sweet little girl into an emotional wreck. She was co-dependent to a degree, whether she wished to admit it or not, and Donatello realised, to his horror, that by leaving her for so long without checking in on her, he'd triggered her now obvious abandonment fear. How could he have been so stupid and insensitive? To shut her in there as well, and then to leave her for that long...?

"I didn't think... I didn't realise I'd been gone so long." Donatello whispered to her, "I just saw other things in my father's room that needed fixing and I didn't take note of the time... I'm so sorry..."

"I thought maybe... Maybe I'd scared you off or you didn't like my body, or maybe..."

Donatello hushed her again, curling his fingers into her thick, dark locks. His poor girl... How could he have not thought to check in on her? It was selfish of him to not think of her. Completely selfish. Most people might like to have some privacy for a couple of hours, but for Marie, who was in a strange home, and a strange bed, it must've been terrifying for her to think that Donatello might leave her in there, shut in a strange room on her own for the rest of the night.

"I promise, you didn't scare me off." Donatello reassured her, "I love your body... You have nothing to worry about, and I don't want you to think anything like that again, okay? You mean so much to me... I shouldn't have left you, Marie. Your anxiety never entered into my head, and I'm so sorry for that. I don't know what I can do to make it up to you, but I'm sorry..."

He gently kissed her cheek as she pulled back to look at him, her silver eyes red and swollen from crying. He smiled at her to try and offer her some comfort, his large fingers delicately moving to brush the falling tears away.

"I'm sorry." He whispered again, "I won't ever do that to you again. I just didn't realise, I swear. I didn't... I didn't _think_."

"It's not your fault I'm messed up in the head, is it?" Marie said with a weak smile, wiping her eyes and sniffling as the tears continued to fall, "I didn't mean to scare your family... I couldn't breathe... I thought I was dying or something..."

"Panic attacks do that to you." Donatello muttered, kissing her damp forehead gently, "Come on... You can take a shower if you want to."

"I _am_ kind of sweaty." Marie nodded, wiping her eyes again, "I'm so tired. Will you shower with me? Will we both fit?"

Donatello realised she didn't want to be left alone at all at that time. She couldn't stand the thought of being without him, and he knew she might not be able to stand upright on her own since the attack would have probably drained most of her energy. He carefully scooped her up into his arms and started to walk towards the bathroom with her, where he sat her carefully on the toilet seat as he then turned on the light.

The room was much bigger than anticipated. The walls were tiled in white and grey, and the light in there was soft so it gave the room an almost eerie look to it. There was a large, walk-in shower, that was obviously custom-built, a counter with a sink built into it, and the toilet that Marie sat on. There was a standing towel rack in the far corner, and Marie spotted various tubs of skin care products on the counter too.

"I tried to make my scales feel softer for you." Donatello admitted as he saw her looking at them, "It's trial and error right now because certain creams irritate my skin..."

"Y-You don't have to do anything of the kind for my benefit." Marie said, a look of horror now present on her beautiful, flushed face, "I-I like you for you. You should only do what makes you comfortable, Donnie..."

Donatello smiled awkwardly and then moved to turn on the shower before he returned to the bedroom to get the towel that he laid out for her earlier. He brought it into the room and sat it next to the sink, running his hand under the spray of water in the shower to see if it was warm enough. He turned the heat up a little more, and then he moved over to Marie, who was currently taking off her sweat-soaked pyjama top. Being met with the sight of her bare torso again made Donatello's lower half start to ache with need, but he knew that he needed to care for her right now, rather than stare at her gorgeous, ample chest.

"You can leave your underwear if you're not comfortable with taking it off."

Marie contemplated what he'd said for a moment. He said he loved her body. She no longer had any fear about his opinion on her body, and she was comfortable to be as naked around him as he'd been around her earlier, not that he really wore clothing anyway. She watched him start to remove the bit of gear he'd put back on when he went to speak to Leonardo earlier, and she beckoned him closer, leaning against him for support. She didn't want him to be uncomfortable or nervous, and she figured that the night had been stressful enough because of her, without her basically cuddling up to him, fully naked in the shower. She didn't think he felt ready to see her naked. The way he let out a shaky breath as her breasts brushed against his plastron, and the way he tensed against her, told her as much.

"I think it's best for me to keep some part of me a mystery, don't you?" She tried to offer him a smile, but it came out weak and forced, "I have my hair-dryer, by the way, so it doesn't matter if my hair gets wet."

Donatello, realising that she probably just wanted to shower and sleep, leant down to kiss her forehead again, before he lifted her into his arms, cradling her closely to him. He decided to sit them under the spray and just allow the water to wash over them. The point of the shower was to soothe her, and to wash away the sweat that had built up during the anxiety attack, so the calming effect of the water would hopefully make her feel better. He climbed into the shower with her and sat down with her under the spray, keeping her held close to him as he sat her on his lap, crossing his legs.

Gently, he started to massage her thigh with one hand, and her upper arm with the other, just to offer her some kind of comfort and to soothe her. Marie leant against him, her eyes now heavy-lidded and still swollen from crying, and she then tenderly kissed his cheek, to thank him for taking care of her. He brushed her now wet hair out of her face and continued to rub her body. He was well aware that she could probably manage this on her own, but since it was his fault that she'd ended up collapsing in the first place, the only thing that the nineteen-year-old could think to do was to do everything in his power to make it up to her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, "I'm sorry that I haven't asked until now."

"I'm just tired. I feel a little sick." Marie admitted, leaning into him as they enjoyed being under the warm water together, "I'm sort of shaky..."

"That'll be due to your blood pressure changing so dramatically." Donatello reassured her, "We'll get you something to eat that'll give you some energy."

"Are you okay?" She asked him, cupping his cheek tenderly.

"I'm fine." He replied, nodding to emphasise his words, "Let's just focus on making sure you feel better."

 _'I love him...'_ Marie thought, wrapping her arms around his neck to embrace him, _'God, I love him so much...'_

She now started to feel cold, and she knew that it was getting late. The only thing she wanted was to be in some clean pyjamas, with dry hair, and to fall asleep beside her boyfriend, who could feel her start to shiver in his arms under the much cooler spray. He reached up to turn the water off and then allowed Marie to get to her feet, before he slowly joined her, stepping out of the shower with her. Grabbing her towel, Donatello quickly wrapped her up, trying not to let his eyes wander down to her chest, which was now littered with goosebumps from the cold of the room.

"While you're drying your hair, I'll get you something to eat, okay?" He said softly, grabbing his own towel, "We can have a nice hot drink and something to eat, and then we can go to sleep if you want to."

Marie simply nodded. The realisation of her love for him in the shower had startled her and sent her into quiet contemplation. She'd only been with him for a very short period of time. It wasn't as if they'd been dating for months. Maybe it was the overpowering sensation of her first real attraction to someone. Perhaps not. She didn't know. But, she certainly felt as if she loved him. She'd never felt remotely like this for another person before. Not even the boys she'd had crushes on at school.

"I'll leave you to it..." He said, "I won't close the shutter this time, but I'll close the one to the lab, just so you have your privacy, and I swear, I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll keep an eye on the time."

Marie nodded silently again, swallowing thickly. He was doing it again; treating her like she was fragile, and like she shouldn't be left on her own. She understood that he was trying to make her feel comfortable and safe, and she didn't blame him for treating her this way. She just wished that she wasn't messed up in the head. Then she wouldn't get anxiety attacks, or bouts of depression, or spend most of her life feeling negative. She knew she was the only one who could change it, but it was hard. She was trying, but... She didn't always have the support she needed, but Donatello was doing his best to try and find out what she needed from him as her boyfriend, in order to help her deal with her anxiety in a productive and relatively easy way.

"I'm not... I'm not weak, Donnie." She told him, drying herself off carefully with the towel before removing her now soaked underwear, keeping herself covered up with the soft material, "You don't have to run around after me because I'm messed up in the head."

"I really don't think that you're weak, Marie. Or fragile, or anything of the kind." Donatello said sweetly, "I don't. I just want to help, and I want to take care of you, okay? Just let me take care of you."

He then leant forward and planted a lingering, loving kiss against her forehead. His heart thrummed in his chest as he felt her gentle fingers against his plastron, and he let out a deep contented sigh. Marie let out a long, deep sigh as well before she leant up to kiss his lips in a passionate, tender kiss. He cupped the back of her head, moving his mouth slowly with hers, and he listened to her let out a breathy moan into their kiss, hearing the soft sound of the towel hitting the floor.

Blushing furiously, he kept his eyes focussed on hers as they broke apart, and he looked into her wide eyes, while her cheeks also flushed out of embarrassment. Clearing his throat, Donatello offered her a weak smile and chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He was _not_ ready to see her naked yet, simply because he didn't think he'd be able to control himself if he did.

"I'll be right back." He promised, turning on his heel and heading out of the bedroom, towards the kitchen.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Donatello and Marie, Christmas Day had been the real beginning of their physical relationship. Over the next month or so he and Marie had spent every weekend together. What would start out with him helping her out with homework, would turn into them being practically naked, or fully naked, and they'd taken the physical side of their relationship a little further each time they were together.

Both of them felt ready to take things to the next step, and they'd decided that on Valentine's day, they would make love to each other for the first time. Now that they were only a week away from Valentine's day, both of them were feeling rather nervous. Marie was terrified both of the pain, and of Donatello feeling guilty or feeling dissatisfied with their first time.

As she and April were sitting together on the couch in the living area of the lair, Marie tried to get up the courage to ask the reporter for some advice. April had the most experience when it came to actually having sex with a mutated turtle, since, according to Michelangelo, she and Raphael were at it most nights. Not that Marie really needed to know that, of course.

"April, can I ask you something?" Marie spoke softly as she closed her mathematics textbook.

"Sure." April replied, looking up from her magazine.

"Um... Donnie and are planning to do something... _Special_ on Valentine's Day." Marie said in a hushed voice, watching the realisation dawn on April with regards to what the ' _special_ ' thing was, "I was just wondering... D-Do you...? I mean... Could you give me some advice? It's my first time..."

"Oh..." April replied with a nod, smiling kindly, "Sure, come here..."

They moved closer together, and April looked around her to see if anyone else was in the immediate vicinity. The boys were having a late night training session with their father, and April didn't want their conversation to be overheard.

"If any of the boys pass through, start laughing. Just pretend we're talking about something else." April said quietly, earning a nod from the dark-haired teenager, "Okay. My advice, especially if it's your first time, is to use lube... Not too much, but not too little. It's quite helpful if you're finding it hard to relax. Also, take your time. You don't need to rush it, and most importantly, if you feel unsure or you want to stop, you have to tell Donnie. You'll regret it forever if you go through your first time without being a fully willing participant, you know?"

Marie nodded, swallowing thickly as April took in a deep breath, her brow creasing into a small frown. Mental notes were being taken with every word April spoke. To use lube, to take her time, and to say no if she didn't feel comfortable.

"Will it be really painful?" Marie asked, worry crossing her features in the form of a deep frown, "I'm quite good with pain, but... I just don't want Donnie to feel guilty or for his night to be ruined because I'm in too much pain to carry on."

"Well, I won't lie, I'm much more experienced than Raphie in the bedroom department, but... My first time with him hurt." April said in a whisper, "I mean, it stopped after just waiting for my body to adjust to his size. My first time with a human guy hurt like crazy, but that was because he wasn't careful, and I couldn't relax. So, we tried again a couple of nights later, and it was okay."

Marie smiled with relief and nodded at the reporter, feeling grateful that she had someone with experience to talk to. She knew already not to put too much pressure on herself or on Donatello for the night in question. She'd seen certain articles on Donatello's computer in passing about taking a girl's virginity and how best to do it so it was as painless as possible. She thought it was sweet that he was making such an effort to ease her inevitable pain and discomfort.

"By the way, I'm pretty sure I overheard Donnie and Raphie having a similar conversation to this one." April said with a smile, "So, he's just as nervous as you are. You guys need to just take your time, don't put pressure on yourselves, and most importantly, keep it simple, and enjoy it."

Just as April finished speaking, the dojo shutter opened, and the turtles and their father stepped out, seemingly in high spirits. April gave her a wink before she got out of her seat to greet her boyfriend, who was drenched in sweat, enormous chest heaving with each breath. They all looked exhausted, and as Donatello went to greet Marie, Raphael and April watched curiously as the taller turtle possessively pulled Marie into a kiss. They'd noticed lately that Donatello was behaving in a more possessive way with Marie, but only generally in the presence of Michelangelo, and Leonardo.

It was the kind of behaviour that Raphael would display during mating season when April was around, just without the baring of teeth, and without the growling if one of the others approached his girlfriend. It was strange. They'd both discussed it lately, and April had even gone as far as to research the mating behaviour of turtles to see if she could find out what was causing the behaviour. Turtles, particularly the breed that the boys started out as didn't bond for any longer than their mating season. Once that passed, the female that they'd mated with would go on with her life, and the male would go on with his, as though nothing had happened. But, Donatello wasn't behaving possessively over Marie every so often. It was happening all the time, whenever Leonardo, Michelangelo, or both of them were in the immediate area.

They watched the lankier turtle tighten his grip on Marie's waist as Michelangelo drew closer, and they didn't miss the stony glare that Donatello was giving his little brother. Sharing concerned looks, the two bid everyone goodnight, and slowly headed to the room they now regularly shared, leaving the others behind.

The moment that Michelangelo and Leonardo bid the pair goodnight, and the moment that Splinter was in his room, Marie felt the grip that Donatello had on her waist relax. Almost as though he was relieved that they were gone.

"Are you okay?" Marie asked him, taking in his worried expression, "What is it?"

"Nothing, sweetheart." He replied, swallowing thickly before offering her a warm smile, "Come on... I've been thinking about you all night."

"Oh, yeah?" Marie asked, her eyebrow arching in response, "I've been thinking about you, too."

"Oh, you have?" Donatello asked, causing her to let out a little yelp of delight as he suddenly scooped her up into his arms, "Time for bed, dear."

Normally, the name ' _dear_ ' would've made Marie feel quite old, but since Donatello started using the term of endearment in private with her, she found that she quite liked it. There was something so tender about it, and so loving that Marie couldn't resist him when he spoke to her that way. As she giggled girlishly, he carried her through his lab, and into his room, placing her carefully on the bed before he then rushed back to lock up for the night. Running back to her, he started to remove his gear, before he almost dove on top of her to capture her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

Marie smiled to herself, feeling much more confident about their plans for Valentine's day with each passing second.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	11. First

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, guys! Thanks so much for the support so far! I honestly do appreciate it, and I hope you guys continue to enjoy the fic. I do have to put a _**warning**_ in this chapter for _**mature themes**_ and _**adult content**_ because I'm nice enough to let you guys know in advance if that sort of content isn't your thing. :D I'm uploading earlier than usual because I've just arranged a mountain of business paperwork into date order and I'm celebrating the fact that I'm now up to date on my filing after the Christmas rush! Enjoy!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** If you've read the A/N, then your questions should have been answered :P Enjoy!

 **felicia2235:** Thanks for the review! Luckily you don't have to wait long!

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Yeah, you need to keep an eye on that one :D It's not going away anytime soon so... Heh... Thanks for the review!

 **The Silvernote:** Awww thanks. I think Marie needs a friend like April :) Her high school friends were utter jerks.

 **J:** Well spotted! I don't want to spoil things so you'll have to read on and find out ;)

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Eleven: First }**

Valentine's Day had arrived, and as Marie walked towards the lair with her overnight bag over her shoulder, she found herself feeling more nervous with every step she took.

Tonight was the night that she and Donatello would give one another their virginity. She was excited and terrified all at once. She knew in her heart that she was ready, but she didn't fully know what to expect. She didn't know how he would handle the situation, and she didn't know how actually having sex would feel. She'd imagined how it would feel, quite a lot, but she knew it probably wouldn't be as good as she imagined it to be, certainly not the first time.

Michelangelo and Leonardo had gone on patrol that night, since they were both without dates and didn't particularly want to be in the lair and be able to either hear Raphael and April going at it like rabbits, or to have to listen to Marie and Donatello trying to share the same intimacy for the first time. With both couples in completely opposite ends of the lair, and with Splinter actually staying at April's for the night, Marie was safe in the knowledge that she and Donatello would be undisturbed which actually made her feel a little better.

When she arrived at the lair, it was eerily quiet, apart from the soft sounds of a piece of instrumental piano music drifting through the chambers, which echoed around the walls. It was quiet but sounded lovely, and there was a very soft glow coming from Donatello's lab where the sound appeared to also be coming from. Marie slowly crossed the large living space in the dim light towards the lab, where she then found the shutter to the bedroom open, and she saw the various small groups of different sized candles that were lit around Donatello's bedroom. The music was coming from the room, and on the bed rested a bouquet of what appeared to be lilies. Marie had never received flowers before, but Donatello knew that she did particularly like lilies.

"Donnie?" Her voice was meek as she stepped into the bedroom, where she saw Donatello emerging from his bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel which was wrapped around his hips.

She swallowed hard, feeling her mouth go dry at the sight of him completely bare apart from the towel. Even his glasses were already gone, and she looked to see them already resting on his bedside table... Along with a bottle of what she assumed was some kind of lubricant. He really _was_ prepared for that night, more so than she'd believed him to be. It made her feel a little more at ease that he was prepared and quite clearly serious about what they wanted to do that night.

"Hey." He said softly, heading over to the bed to then present her with the flowers, "Happy Valentine's Day. Did you like the card I sent you?"

Ah... The card. The beautiful card with such wonderful words inside, describing how he felt about her, and how he wished to celebrate many more Valentines with her. There was no stereotypical, ' _I love you_ ', in there, though, which was fine with Marie. They weren't at the point where they'd said that yet, and Marie knew she was in love with him, but she wanted to wait and hear him say the same before she admitted her true feelings to him.

"It was lovely. Thank you." Marie replied softly, setting her bag down on the storage chest in his room, "And these are beautiful."

"There's a small bucket of water in the corner that you can sit them in." Donatello said, his manner more cheerful than usual, "I'm sorry I didn't send them with the card, but I wanted to surprise you. And don't worry, I know we said we weren't buying gifts, but I think every girl deserves flowers on Valentine's Day."

Marie smiled warmly, and then opened up her bag, before pulling out the card she'd bought for him. She hadn't bought a gift for him because they'd agreed that the gift of one another's virginity was enough for their first Valentine's Day. Donatello thanked her for the card as he put on his glasses to read it, and Marie took the opportunity to take off her coat and scarf while he was reading it, and then set the flowers in the bucket of water. She'd tried to make her words to him sound as meaningful as possible, without being cliché. She'd told him that he brightened her world, which was the truth, and that she adored being with him and spending time with him. She'd told him how wonderful he was and everything she loved about him and seeing the smile that it brought to the bo-wielding turtle's face was more than worth the effort.

"Thank you, Marie." He said sweetly, placing the card carefully next to her bag on his storage chest so that it was kept well away from the candles before removing his glasses again.

"You're welcome." Marie replied with a smile, trying to calm her nerves as the large turtle steadily moved towards her and pulled her into a long, deep, languid kiss.

He held onto her hips, his fingers brushing against the cotton of her plain, navy blue, long-sleeved t-shirt, and then he moved his hands a little further down to brush against her denim-clad legs. He felt Marie press closer to him with a small hum, and the sound sent blood rushing straight to his lower half. He'd been so nervous, but so excited about this night all day. Trying to make the room look welcoming, and trying to figure out how he was going to make things as easy and painless for her as possible had been highly stressful. He'd tried to remember the best order in which to stimulate her erogenous zones, and he'd read way more articles than he probably should have online, as to how to make the experience the best it could be for the both of them.

"Are you wanting to get straight down to business, or...?" Marie asked as they broke their kiss, looking around her at the room, "You've made quite the effort, huh?"

"W-We don't have to do anything if you don't want to... I just wanted to make it romantic, I guess." Donatello replied, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't want you to feel under any pressure, I just... I wanted to make it special."

"I've been thinking about tonight a lot, lately... I know you've tried to make this special, and I really love what you've done." Marie said quietly, "My day at school yesterday was mostly spent thinking about you... And tonight. I just don't want to disappoint you."

"No pressure." Donatello reminded her gently, his large hand moving to carefully cup her delicate, beautiful face, "Marie, tonight is just about us enjoying ourselves... I know we discussed what we wanted to do, but we don't have to do anything that you're not comfortable with, and if you're not ready, we can wait. There's absolutely no way that you could _ever_ disappoint me."

Marie gave him a bright, genuine smile, and Donatello looked into those lovely silver eyes of hers with his heart hammering in his chest. He wasn't anxious about revealing himself to her since they'd already seen one another in their most exposed forms, but he was anxious about hurting her or making her feel obligated to have sex with him. He just wanted her to be comfortable and happy, and he wanted her to enjoy their first time as much as he would hopefully enjoy it.

To his surprise, his girlfriend took a deep breath, and slowly pulled her long-sleeved t-shirt over her head, revealing to him a purple silk bra. She was wearing his colour. He felt his heart stop at the realisation, and as she then took his hands in hers, she guided them towards her jeans so that he could unfasten them, which then caused his heart to start racing even faster in his chest. He knew he'd find a matching pair of panties underneath, and it meant the world to him that she had chosen to wear his colour for that night.

He watched her carefully slip out of her flat shoes with a small, embarrassed roll of her eyes, before she let his upper arms go, which she'd been holding onto for support, and steadily ran her fingers up his shoulders and neck, before gently cupping both his neck and jaw with those elegant, precious hands. He steadily unfastened the jeans, which he slowly slid past her thighs so that they would finally fall and pool in a graceless heap at her feet. She let him go to step out of them and smiled as she found Donatello's fingers exploring the silk of her purple panties, which, of course, matched the bra.

Marie now felt even more nervous because she realised, as she'd looked into his adoring eyes, that she couldn't hold back her true feelings anymore. This was a big step for both of them, but she knew that Donatello had been struggling so much to actually believe that she wanted to be with him. His self-esteem was appallingly low, and Marie wanted to reassure him that she was certain that he was the one she wanted to experience her first time with, and that she truly did want to be with him.

"Donnie, I need to tell you something before we do this." She said softly, stroking his skin with loving hands, "It's important to me... And I want you to know before I tell you that you don't have to respond right now, and if you aren't in the same place as me, it's okay..."

"What is it?"

God, he looked so unsure... So _worried_. She didn't want him to be worried, or nervous. She just wanted him to know that he was loved, and no matter whether he responded with the same sentiments that she was about to share with him or not, she wanted him to know that her feelings wouldn't be changed, and she wouldn't be upset if he wasn't there yet.

"I..." She paused, biting her lip as a sudden wave of doubt washed over her.

They'd been together for two months. Was it too soon to be confessing these feelings to him? She knew that they'd both had feelings for each other for quite a while before they got together because they'd talked about it when they were in the very early stages of their relationship, so it was entirely possible that maybe he'd feel the same way.

"I want you to know that..." She swallowed hard, biting her lip once again to stop it from trembling as her throat became tight with emotion, "I love you. I _love_ you, Donnie. And, I wanted you to know before we did this because it's something I always thought of as sacred, and special... I wanted you to know how I felt, and how important this is to me... And, if you don't feel the same, it's okay... I won't be hurt, and I won't be upset..."

Donatello stared at her, his jaw slack and his eyes wide. Even though his glasses were missing, he'd detected the emotion in the slight blurring of her face, and in the glittering of her eyes. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was bearing her soul to him, unburdening feelings that she may have been carrying for weeks without his knowledge, and he knew how brave she'd been to actually go as far as to confess this to him, especially on a night where she would've already been anxious.

She'd had two anxiety attacks that day already, he knew, because April had stopped by to see her with his card, and had told him as much when she came back to the lair. For Marie to put her heart on the line for him in such a way meant the world to him. He _did_ love her as she loved him. The night that he'd been holding her in the shower after her sudden panic attack, he'd realised that the only thing he wanted to do was devote himself to caring for her and helping her to heal her emotional and mental wounds. She was helping him to heal his. It had been hard for him to think of how he loved her when he knew that she may not feel the same.

"You love me?" He asked her, feeling a knot of emotion rising in the back of his throat, "You _really_ love me?"

Marie nodded, drawing her lips into a tight line as she ducked her head. The look on his face told her that he didn't feel the same and it broke her because she'd had this ray of hope that maybe, just maybe _someone_ could love an emotional screw-up like her. The silence that filled the room for a brief moment made her wonder if he was thinking of some way to let her down gently, but then...

"I feel the same." He said, his voice now quaking with emotion, "I've been in love with you for quite a while... At first, I thought I was just experiencing intense infatuation, but, now I know it isn't. And I was planning on telling you, but I didn't want you to feel any more pressure about tonight, and I didn't want you to feel guilty if you weren't in the same place as me. I love you too, and I love you _so_ deeply... You're my life... I can't be without you."

It was so much more intense than her confession had been. So emotional, so strong and so wonderful that Marie didn't quite know how to take it. She was beyond happy, and she could've cried with joy if she wasn't completely and utterly stunned. She grinned at him, finally, and she leant upward to kiss him, almost as if this would seal the deal for both of them. As they kissed, both of them closed their eyes, and Marie had to fight desperately to not lose control of her emotions because she was overjoyed that he loved her too.

Their kiss deepened, and Marie sighed as she felt Donatello's fingers in the back of her hair, curling into the thick, dark locks as his spare hand moved to cradle the small of her back, his large fingers delicately brushing against the soft, pale flesh. Marie shivered against him, gasping with delight when the turtle started to try to seek her tongue to deepen their kiss even further. Marie's hands worked to remove the towel from his waist, and Donatello felt the slight cold in the room suddenly rush to the exposed parts of his lower plastron and upper thighs.

When they broke their kiss, Marie moved to pull back the covers of the bed, and she got under them carefully, followed faithfully by her boyfriend, who moved so that he was half on top of her. Their lips met in another deep kiss, and Marie parted her legs to that Donatello could settle between them. The music was still playing, and it was so relaxing as the pair ran their hands over one another, their lips meeting and parting in tender kisses.

"I love you, Donatello." Marie whispered, smiling up at him as her silver eyes glittered with happiness, leaning up to kiss him again before he could respond to her.

He smiled into their kiss, still somewhat stunned by her confession of love to him. The very fact that she'd been afraid of him not feeling the same showed him that maybe she really did, truly love him. He didn't see himself as someone a human woman could love. His scales, his three-fingered hands, his big, dorky glasses... None of these things should attract a human woman. Yet he was about to actually have sex; no, make _love_ , to a human girl. He, the lanky, green-skinned, mutated freak, was about to lead this beautiful eighteen-year-old girl into womanhood. And he, someone who didn't deserve the love of such a stunning creature, was the one who was going to undoubtedly cause her physical pain and discomfort.

' _How dare you?_ ' The dark voice returned to his head, causing him to stop his ministrations to gaze down at Marie's flushed face, ' _She deserves so much more_.'

As he leant back down to kiss her, he pressed his hips against hers in a slow, deliberate movement, earning a soft moan from the young woman. He wasn't going to give in to the voice. He'd treated her with nothing but love and respect, and Marie had done the same for him. He'd made the room as lovely as he could for her, and he'd tried to create a relaxing atmosphere since he knew she'd been nervous. She deserved the world. Of course, she did. But, no man on earth could provide her with the world, and she'd chosen to be with him. So Donatello would give her as much of the world as he could, and he would give her his whole being if that was what she wanted.

"I love you, too." He whispered, leaning down to kiss her neck, "I _adore_ you... You're so beautiful."

Marie let out a small breath, arching into him as she felt his lips against her neck. She ran a hand up the side of his carapace as he started to work his way down her body, and her manicured fingers tenderly cupped his head to encourage him when he began to press his lips against her breasts. He slipped his hands under her to unfasten her bra, and she sat up slightly to allow him to do so, moving her dark, curled hair out of the way so that he could kiss her shoulder and neck as he removed the first article of clothing.

Pulling the silk garment away from Marie's pale skin, Donatello set it next to them on the bed, and then returned to worshipping her beautiful body by planting butterfly kisses across her collarbone and then across her breasts. He was well practised with her upper body now, since Christmas, when she'd bravely allowed him to see some of the most intimate parts of her body. They'd experimented with one another's lower body, more than once, and had done so to try and ease some of the pressure that this night might bring.

He took one of her breasts into his mouth, which earned him a soft moan and a slight bucking of her hips as they moved slowly together, and after a few moments of teasing her, he moved across to the other breast, repeating the tender caresses there as well. He was trying very hard to take things slowly and be patient, but he was more than ready to give himself to her, especially since she'd just confessed her love for him.

He rolled his hips against hers, continuing the slow movements that they'd started a few moments before, and he steadily moved lower and lower, gently kissing her beautiful stomach. He heard an appreciative hum, and he then lifted his head from her belly, returning to her lips. He'd tried to remember how much pressure she liked against her lips, and what kind of motion with his lips would get the most positive reaction from her. He also tried to remind himself quite regularly, not to overthink things and not to approach this with such a scientific outlook. She wasn't an experiment. She was his _girlfriend_. He needed, just for once, to go with the flow.

Before he knew what was happening, he could feel Marie's hand making its way to his lower plastron, where an almost unbearable pressure had been building for the past several minutes. He broke away from her lips and took in a sharp breath, unable to stop himself from lowering into her hand. He panicked for the briefest of moments before he realised that Marie was smiling, and as she leant up to kiss him, her hand carefully began to stroke him in long, smooth motions.

She heard the first churr rumble from within his chest, and she bit down on his lower lip lightly, which earned her a rather needy sounding moan. In a sudden rush of need, Donatello grabbed her underwear and literally tore it from her lower body, which caused Marie to let out a rather startled gasp as she stared up at him with wide eyes. Donatello stopped, horrified at what he'd just done. He didn't get the chance to apologise, though, because Marie burst into sweet giggles, and her eyes became once again blown with lust.

"That was unbelievably sexy." She told him, trying to ease his clear mortification at what he'd just done, "It's okay. I've had this set for quite a while, and it was probably ready for throwing out anyway."

Donatello's face burned out of both shame and flattery since she thought his sudden onset of masculine dominance was sexy. He was very grateful that they'd both already shared experiences involving the most intimate parts of their bodies, because if not, his actions may have made things very awkward. He gingerly reached down to touch her as they kissed again, and as he carefully ran his finger over her he found that she was already incredibly wet. He couldn't fathom how someone could be so aroused by him.

"If you want me to stop, just say so..." He whispered to her, gazing into her beautiful silver eyes, "Promise me that you'll tell me if you're not comfortable."

"I promise." Marie replied, nodding softly as she leant up to kiss him softly again, "I love you, Donatello."

Donatello couldn't help but smile, both at her confession of love and at the uttering of his full name. There was such a tone of sincerity that he couldn't shy away from, and he also realised by the look in her eyes that she was offering him a sign of trust. She trusted him to do this, even though she was well aware of the fact that he was going to cause her physical pain and discomfort.

"I love you, Marie." He spoke softly to her, "Are you ready?"

Marie nodded, and in response, he moved away from her to get the bottle that sat on his bedside table, and as he slowly coated his fingers in the rather cold substance, he moved back towards her and gingerly ran his finger over her entrance to allow her to adjust to the sensation of the lubricant. He knew not to use too much because it may cause her more discomfort if he did. He waited for her to relax, and then he carefully started to try and ease one of his fingers inside of her.

Marie winced because it was painful and uncomfortable, but she nodded at Donatello to continue regardless, and she blew through her mouth gently to help herself relax. He was watching her carefully, ready to stop at any sign of discomfort. She couldn't believe that she was actually doing this with him. She had wondered earlier that day if part of her was sick somewhere... Fantasising about a mutated turtle... Was that _normal_? She'd then spent several hours afterwards feeling guilty and like the worst person ever for thinking that way about her own boyfriend. Because, regardless of what Donatello looked like, he was still a person, and he was in complete control of his own thoughts, he felt emotion... He had more intelligence that most human beings, and he made her very, _very_ happy.

"Marie, are you okay?"

Marie didn't even realise, but Donatello had now slid a second finger inside of her. It wasn't until she looked down and saw as much that she started to register the pain. She knew it was going to be uncomfortable, and it really did hurt... But she didn't want to stop because she felt more than ready to give herself to him, and she was prepared to go through the pain to do so.

"Yes." Her voice was quiet, "It hurts, but I'm alright."

"I'm sorry." His voice was full of guilt and regret, and he leant down to press his lips tenderly against her forehead, as though to soothe her, "I'm trying to be as gentle as I can."

"I know." Marie managed a smile, despite the burning between her thighs, "It's alright."

After a few moments more of the careful movements with his fingers, Donatello withdrew them, and Marie waited patiently for him to ready himself with the lubricant before he settled above her, being wary about putting his weight on her. She felt so delicate, even though he knew she wasn't, and as they looked at each other, he knew in that moment that she probably felt just as vulnerable as he did. He'd never felt this vulnerable before, and he stilled for a moment, not sure whether or not he could continue. He wanted her so much. He _needed_ her, and he'd been fantasising about this for a while, but... Could he really trust himself to be careful with her? His actions moments before when he'd ripped the silk from her body had scared him.

"Donnie...?" Marie's hand against his cheek and the sweet sound of her voice brought him back to reality, "I-I'm ready."

Swallowing thickly, Donatello nodded in response to her. After a few very awkward moments of fumbling, he managed to actually get partially inside of her. Her eyes widened and she stopped breathing, clearly in a lot of pain and discomfort. He watched her warily, trying not to move so that she could relax.

"Breathe." He reminded her gently, "Is it too much?"

She shook her head and let out a deep breath, closing her eyes as she took another in through her nose. He looked at her, pale cheeks flushed, chocolate brown curls spread across his pillow, her silver eyes now once again meeting his, and his stomach felt like it had just dropped out of him. She breathed out again, and as she did, knowing her muscles would be a little more relaxed, Donatello pushed forward some more.

Marie felt a pop. It was distinct, quick and painful, but she thought that might mean that the worst was over. Maybe the rest of this wouldn't be so painful. It burned. It hurt, almost unbearably. But, she was amazing when it came to a pain tolerance. She wouldn't show him she was in agony. She wouldn't take this experience from him and turn it into something negative. The pain was inevitable for her. But for him, this was something that could be so wonderful. She wouldn't fake anything, but she wouldn't make him feel guilty for something he couldn't help either.

"Marie..."

"I'm alright." She whispered, cupping his head to pull him in for a kiss, "Just move slowly."

Their lips met in a tender, loving exchange, and Donatello slid an arm under her to embrace her, while he then rested his head against the pillow, leaving them cheek to cheek. Marie's warm, slender arms encircled him, and she tried to relax as he started to move back and forth, his body now fully entwined with hers.

She heard a deep, uncharacteristically gruff churr rumble in her boyfriend's chest, and as his spare hand moved to cradle the top of her head, Marie swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the horrid pain and the unbelievable discomfort. She focused instead on him, and how safe and loved he was making her feel. She focused on the sound of his hitching breaths, his little whimpers of pleasure and the sensation of him holding her so close to him as though to try and comfort her.

She felt him tense after what must've only been about a minute or so, and she realised that she was so numb with the pain that she actually couldn't feel anything between her legs. She'd expected to feel the warmth of his release, or the pulsing of him inside of her. But she felt nothing now. Not even pain. He was shaking, clearly spent from the energy being torn from him due to the strength of his orgasm. Marie had felt nothing like an orgasm. She'd been hurting and uncomfortable for the entirety of their first time together and she couldn't help but feel a little bitter. Maybe next time would be much better, and maybe...

"I'm sorry..."

The sudden feeling of a towel being carefully placed between her legs brought her back to reality, and she was met with the regretful eyes of her boyfriend, who had already pulled out of her and was now trying to tend to her. She wondered if she was bleeding badly or if it was just a little. There was no other reason that she could think of for him placing the towel there, other than the fact that he'd made her bleed. His voice was wavering with whatever emotion was suddenly building inside of him, and she instantly realised that he knew she'd been in agony. Then, she saw him reach up to touch her, and she felt him wipe tears from her face. When on earth had she started crying?

"W-Was it too much?" He asked her, his expression one of pure love and concern for her, "Marie, was it too much?"

"I'm alright." She reassured him, cupping his cheek, "It's alright. It was fine."

Deciding not to push the matter any further, Donatello nodded and settled down beside her, to pull her into his arms. Knowing he wasn't convinced, Marie pressed her face into his chest, sighing as she felt him cup the back of her head before he pressed a kiss to it, and the two of them lay in what could only be described as uncomfortable silence.

They stayed still for a while, both of them solemnly wondering if what had just happened between them would change things in their relationship for better, or for worse...

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **A/N No.2:** Okay, don't hate me for taking this wonderful event in this direction. First times are usually awkward. It's generally very uncomfortable and doesn't last long at all (as I got repeatedly told in sex ed at school _*cringe*_ ) unless the guy you're with is more experienced than you. I was just so damn relieved that it had finally happened for me that I didn't care how uncomfortable it was but if you're like Marie, and you kind of want to experience something a little nicer than that, a painful and uncomfortable first time would probably bring your mood down a little. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll be back tomorrow to update again :D

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	12. Support

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! I have to say, I'm really excited about the fact that reviews, favourites, reads and follows are picking up for this fic. Thank you so much! I was so worried that you guys didn't like this. I do have to warn you guys that things start to get _**angsty**_ from here. There is a small amount of _**mild**_ **_adult content_** in this chapter too. I hope you enjoy it!

 **The Silvernote:** Thank you. I did my best to make it both sweet and realistic so it means a lot to me that you commented on that.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** It is frustrating. It's quite hard for guys I think. They know they're putting their girlfriend through pain and it must really suck for them to have no way around that :/ I hate to say that things are gonna go downhill from here, but in terms of their physical relationship, things improve :P

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Don't worry, there'll be more where this came from :P

 **J:** Thank you! Yeah, you just know Donnie would feel so bad about that :( I hope you enjoy this chapter :D

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Twelve: Support }**

In the days following their first night together, Marie and Donatello hadn't seen each other.

Neither regretted what had happened, but for some reason, it was almost as if things became utterly uncomfortable between them. After they'd had sex for the first time, they'd showered together, and Donatello had tried to coax Marie out of the sudden shyness that she'd been overcome with, to no avail. She had actually left the lair sometime in the night and had walked home alone. The only reason that Donatello found out about that as soon as he did was because Leonardo and Michelangelo had stormed into his room, wanting to make sure he was alright.

His brothers believed that they'd had a fight because they'd spotted Marie walking home in tears when they were coming back from patrol. Donatello had been devastated, not only that she'd basically run out on him in the middle of the night, but that she was upset. This was _not_ the way he'd wanted Valentine's Day to go. He'd called her to check on her as soon as he could, and she told him she was sorry for leaving, but she just needed some space. She couldn't explain it, but she'd call him as soon as she was ready to talk.

Four days had passed, and still nothing. She was answering his messages when he asked if she was okay, but only with one-word answers. He couldn't understand it, and now, he was sitting in his lab feeling more depressed than he'd ever felt before, with his older brother, trying to work out what he did wrong.

"You _did_ use enough lube, right?" Raphael asked him, his voice low, "'Cause the first time April and I did it, I didn't use enough and I almost gave her a tear..."

"Of _course_ I did." Donatello hissed, blushing furiously, " _Jesus_ , Raph!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just trying to work out why she took off!" Raphael answered, eyes wide and hands raised in defence, "You said she was crying when you stopped..."

"Yeah, I mean... I didn't even hear anything." The purple-clad turtle ran his hand over his face for a moment, "I didn't _hear_ her. She was silent, through the whole thing. She was enjoying it up until then... I swear, she was... I moved to look at her and check on her because I'd not heard her at all, and then I saw she was crying. I don't think she even realised she was crying until I went to touch her."

"I'll tell you something you haven't done." Raphael said with a shake of his head, "Why don't you actually go to the orphanage and talk to her?"

"I'm not going to invade her space if she isn't ready to talk about it." Donatello said with a heavy sigh, "I don't know what to do. What if she's regretting everything? I mean... Not just sleeping with me, but being with me in general. I mean... Who could really love _this_?"

"Shut up, you fucking moron." Raphael snapped, "Get off your ass, stop feeling sorry for yourself, grow a fucking spine, and talk to your damn girlfriend. She's obviously in love with you, and you're gonna just sit back and let her deal with whatever's going on in her head, by herself? Seriously?"

He grabbed Donatello by the shoulders and steered him towards the entrance to the lab. Donatello was no match for his older brother in terms of strength. Raphael, who could throw shipping containers around like they weighed nothing, wasn't going to be opposed by his younger brother in this particular moment. Donatello had been on the receiving end of Raphael's strength and temper before, and it wasn't an experience he wished to repeat.

"Get your ass to that orphanage and take care of your girlfriend." Raphael growled, "You can't just hide from shit when things go awry. I learned very quickly that women don't appreciate that kind of behaviour."

Just as he was about to push Donatello out of the door, the pair were met with the sight of a very pale, tired, and tearful looking Marie, who walked into the lair through one of the ground floor entrances with her school bag over her shoulder. She looked incredibly pretty, dressed in a dark blue plaid skirt, a grey top with long sleeves, thick black tights, and a pair of black pumps. Her black leather jacket was hung over her arm, and her dark hair was tied in a messy bun.

"Marie!" Michelangelo almost threw his gamepad to the floor as he rushed up to greet the slim teenager, who looked far from happy, "We've missed you!"

He wrapped the girl up in a warm hug and she managed to offer him a smile, even if it was a forced one. Leonardo, who was heading out from his room as she'd walked into the lair, also moved to greet her. Raphael then gave Donatello a harsh shove towards the tearful looking girl before he waved to her in greeting, and went off to the dojo, where he'd most likely stay until he was ready to go to April's later.

As Marie met eyes with her boyfriend, the emotion of the past few days hit her all at once. She literally burst into tears before she could stop herself, and she clasped her hands over her mouth in a desperate attempt to silence her sudden wails and sobs. Leonardo and Michelangelo took the hint straight away and started to move in the direction of the youngest turtle's room to be out of the way so that Marie and Donatello could talk.

The moment that they'd gone, Donatello rushed forward and pulled the emotional girl into his chest. He clutched her to his plastron as her body sagged and heaved with sob after sob, and no matter how he tried, he just couldn't think of anything to say to her that might soothe her in her present state. So, he kept a tight hold of her with one arm, and he steadily began to walk her towards his lab, where he then closed the shutter behind them to give them privacy. After a brief moment of awkward silence on his part, he took her into his room and closed that shutter as well, cutting them off completely from the rest of his family.

Then, he just held her. He was quite content to do so for however long it took for her to calm down. He could feel her breathing becoming more erratic, so he started to soothe her by rubbing her back in slow, gentle motions. Since she'd changed her anxiety medication, she'd been much better, and she hadn't suffered from her anxiety anywhere near as badly as she had before, but that didn't mean to say she wouldn't have an attack right there and then, given the appalling state she was in.

He took her school bag from her and set it down on his storage chest at the foot of his bed, and he then carefully led her to the comfort of the soft mattress, where they sat together, holding hands as she hurriedly wiped her eyes. Donatello grabbed the box of tissues that were sitting beside his bed, and he gingerly held it out to her for her to take a tissue to dry her eyes and her face.

Marie was astounded that he hadn't spoken yet; that he hadn't yelled at her or at least questioned her for running out on him four nights ago, but Donatello knew that she needed the time to calm herself down, so he waited patiently and silently. Once Marie had managed to reduce her upset state from gut-wrenching sobs to quiet sniffles, she tried to get up the courage to speak.

"I'm sorry for what I did the other night." She said quietly, clearing her throat, "I know leaving was a terrible thing to do, especially after what happened between us."

"So, why did you leave?" He asked her, his tone far from the angry one she expected.

"I-I don't know..." Marie muttered, wiping at her eyes, "I don't regret what we did. I mean... I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant for me, and I wanted to make sure you had a really great experience, so... I didn't want to let you know how painful it was for me. But, then I realised I'd been crying, and I knew you felt terrible. I knew I'd let you down, and I didn't feel able to stay..."

Donatello's fingers tightened around hers, and Marie found her hand being drawn to his lips. He kissed her knuckles in a very loving and sweet motion, and as the young girl looked up into her boyfriend's grey-green eyes, which were surrounded by the calming shade of purple that he wore around his face, she felt her throat tighten with pent up emotion. His other hand, which was currently stroking short, but soothing lines up and down her side, then moved upward to cup the side of her head, and he gently pulled her closer to then kiss her forehead. She closed her silver eyes which were glittering with tears, and she thanked her lucky stars for the wonderful man who was now comforting her and treating her with more respect and love than she felt she deserved.

"You did _not_ let me down." He told her, his voice now laced with a hint of anger, "If anything, _I_ let _you_ down. All I did was take from you. I didn't give you anything that could remotely resemble any kind of pleasure, Marie. The only thing I gave you was pain and discomfort, and for that, I'm sorry."

Her fingers, this time, tightened around his. Part of the reason that she'd left was that she felt bitter that her first time had been rather difficult to enjoy, while his had clearly been pretty good for him. Now, she realised that his strange behaviour that night had probably been due to him feeling guilty, even if he hadn't realised until the present moment that he'd neglected her that way.

"I know I've handled this in a bad way..." She began, dabbing her eyes with the tissue, "I should've told you what I was feeling, but I didn't want to ruin the night any more than I thought I had."

"You've handled it in the only way you knew how, and the only way you felt you could." Donatello reassured her, holding her tighter to him, "I should've realised what was wrong much sooner. I'm sorry, Marie."

"I'm sorry too, Donnie." Marie breathed out, closing her eyes tightly to will away the new onset of tears that were threatening to fill her eyes, "I love you. So much."

"I love you, too." Donatello said, unable to stop the small smile from breaking out onto his face as they held one another in a much more comfortable silence than they'd experienced a few nights before, "Marie, do Lauren and Dan know you're here?"

"Yeah. I have to be back before ten." Marie said softly, swallowing thickly as she gazed into his beautiful eyes, "Baby, you look tired."

"So do you." Donatello replied, causing both of them to laugh softly at the other for the briefest of moments, "Have you been getting any sleep?"

"Not really." The young girl told him, "Have you?"

"Not really." He echoed her reply, before taking her beautiful face into his hands, "I've really missed you."

"I know, I'm sorry." Marie breathed out, biting her lip, "I've missed you too, and I promise I won't ever do anything like that to you again. I swear, I won't."

Donatello could only nod in response to her emotional apologies before gingerly leaning down to press his lips to hers. Their kiss was a tender one, but it was then deepened by Marie, who pressed as close to her boyfriend as she could just to savour the feeling of being with him again. As they parted, they gave each other warm, bright smiles, and for the first time in the past few days, their hearts didn't feel quite so heavy.

"I should really be going home." Marie told him softly, "I have homework to do, and I'm sure you were busy with other things before I got here."

"Please, stay." The turtle's protest was instantaneous and rather loud, which stunned both of them, "Don't go... I haven't seen you for four days. At least stay for dinner..."

Marie looked at him, her silver eyes meeting his wide grey-green ones as his lips formed a tight line. His hand was holding hers again, his lovely, slender fingers wrapping around hers before they softly squeezed, as though to emphasise his plea for her to stay with him. He really had missed her, and after spending the past four days worrying about her and their relationship, he wasn't prepared to let her go home yet. He didn't want to.

"Please, don't go." He spoke again, this time more gently, "I've missed you so much, Marie."

Apparently, that was all the reassurance she needed, because Donatello then received an utterly beautiful smile, and she nodded in response to his pleas, making him smile warmly in return. He then found himself with his arms full of the eighteen-year-old, who held him in a purely loving embrace. She rubbed his shell as she held onto him, and he let out a contented sigh as he felt her start to play with the ties of his mask.

The two then got up from the bed and went to go and let the others know that Marie was staying for dinner.

* * *

Within the weeks that followed, Marie and Donatello finally started to grow even closer. They spent as much time together as possible, and Marie ended up staying every weekend. They would play video games, watch movies, Marie would do her homework while Donatello worked on his various projects, and best of all, they would, more often than not, end up making love. Donatello was so relieved that after their third of fourth time, Marie experienced no discomfort whatsoever. They enjoyed the physical side of their relationship equally now, and it made things much less tense between them than they had been a few weeks before.

On this particular Friday night, Marie had just finished her school work, and she and Donatello were lounged in his bed with a random horror movie playing in the background, that neither of them particularly cared for, or were interested in. Donatello was carefully examining how Marie's hands looked compared to his. She had beautiful, elegant fingers, and she'd recently had her manicure, so her nails looked lovely and healthy. That was her weekly treat. It was something she knew she'd have to give up once she moved into her own place since she wouldn't be able to afford to have it done.

Resting her hand against his, Donatello marvelled at the size difference. His hand almost completely engulfed hers, and it could be rather awkward holding hands with her, especially when her five dainty, precious fingers were entwined with his three rather long, awkward green ones. He loved Marie's hands, as he knew that she loved his.

"What is it, baby?" She asked him, tilting her head back to look at him from where she was laying against his chest.

He loved laying like this with her. She would lay between his legs and against his plastron, and if her back started to hurt, he would place a pillow between them to soften the sensation, but regardless, it was very intimate, and it was their favourite position for cuddling. Not that Donatello would let onto his brothers that he and Marie cuddled this way.

"I'm just examining our hands." The turtle answered quietly, "You really do have amazingly beautiful fingers..."

"Do you think so?" Marie asked, taking his hand in both of hers to examine it, "So do you. I love your hands."

"I don't know why." Donatello replied, "They're long, they're awkward, and they're _green_."

"They're skilled, elegant, and they tell a story." Marie protested, "They show how hard you work because they're scarred and calloused in places... Though you've tried to soften them with lotion, they're still a little rough because you can't help but continue to work with them. The harder you work, the more cuts and callouses you'll get. They make your hands beautiful."

Donatello leant his head towards hers, breathing in the scent of her coconut shampoo that she'd used on her hair that night, and as he ran his spare hand under the cotton of her grey pyjama top, he felt her lean into the touch of his hand against the soft skin of her belly.

"These hands are strong, Donnie, and they make me feel safe." Marie whispered, pressing back into him as he nuzzled the side of her head, "That's why I love them."

"I love you." He whispered in return, swallowing thickly as he closed his eyes to savour being in that wonderful moment with her.

Marie turned in his arms, which surprised him, and she climbed into his lap if a little awkwardly. The fabric of her grey shorts brushed against his thighs as she settled atop him, straddling him. His fingers moved to her long, dark hair, and he took it into his hands before tenderly gathering it up, and moving it over to her right shoulder. He then brushed a loose lock of hair out of her face, and then he leant upward to kiss her, cradling her head in one hand, and the small of her back in the other.

"I love you too." Marie whispered as their lips were about to meet, and as her beautiful silver eyes closed, Donatello took that chance to kiss her.

She hummed appreciatively at the contact, and reached for her boyfriend's glasses, removing them delicately. She handed them to him, and he leant across to carefully place them on his bedside table. He was then pulled backwards by his mask, and while Marie struggled to get him where she wanted him, he did his best to resist, just to tease her.

"Stop..." She complained, smiling regardless, "Come here."

Donatello returned to her at the sound of her dissatisfaction, and he kissed her deeply, running his hands under her top to feel the skin of her hips and waist. He heard her moan as she shivered pleasurably in his hands, and he squeezed her hips while gently biting her lower lip. She was just divine. The scent of her hair and skin, the sound of her beautiful voice, the gentle, light caresses of her hands, and the feeling of her soft flesh beneath his fingers drove the turtle insane. She was beautiful; a work of art in her own right, and she was his. No-one else's. _His_. It felt amazing.

Pulling her as close to him as possible, Donatello curled his fingers into her hair and then grabbed the hem of her t-shirt, kissing her hard once more before throwing the shirt up and over her head. Marie would never admit this to anyone, but she quite enjoyed this animalistic side to her boyfriend. The hungry, needy, dominant behaviour was a bit of a turn on.

"Donnie, I need you to..."

At the sound of Michelangelo's voice and the horrific sound of the shutter being thrown up, Donatello instantly pressed Marie into his chest to try and hide her half naked state from his little brother. He growled and turned to look at Michelangelo, who ran into the room without realising what was going on. The orange-clad turtle let out a rather strange sounding, high-pitched squeak, and hurried to cover his eyes.

"Oh, God! I'm sorry!" He started shrieking, "I'm sorry! You're both naked! Oh, my God! You're _naked_!"

"Get out, Mikey!" Donatello yelled, hurriedly handing Marie her top to put back on as Michelangelo ran blindly towards the shutter, "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"I'm sorry, bro! I'm sorry!" Michelangelo cried, bumping into the wall next to the door.

Marie's silver eyes widened in horror as Donatello grabbed his glasses, and flew off of the bed towards his brother, picking up his bo along the way. He couldn't explain the sudden rage that filled him at his little brother being so intrusive, but lately, he'd felt this incessant need to almost _claim_ Marie when he was in the presence of his brothers, and now that Michelangelo had interrupted them when they were about to do something so intimate together, it had filled him with a rather aggressive anger that he couldn't control.

"Dude..." Michelangelo could now see his brother stalking towards him with his bo in his hand, "Just... Just relax, 'kay?"

"How much did you see?" Donatello asked him, shaking with anger, "What did you see?!"

"Nothing! I swear!" Michelangelo started to back out through Donatello's lab, unnerved by the look of pure rage in his older brother's eyes, "I swear, I didn't see her... Y'know... Boobs or anything."

Donatello angrily advanced on his brother, pinning him to the wall by holding the bo across the youngest turtle's chest. Michelangelo audibly swallowed, and for the first time in a long time, he felt scared of his older brother. Donatello had been incredibly possessive lately when it came to Marie, and the slightest look in her direction could make him visibly angry. Not only that, but he would feel the need to have some kind of romantic contact with her in front of the others, almost as though he was warning them off.

It had been worrying everyone because the only time that Donatello should've been displaying anything remotely like this kind of behaviour was during his mating season. That had been and gone, and this behaviour had been occurring since he and Marie started to date. Michelangelo sort of had an idea as to what it was. He thought that maybe Donatello had actually bound himself to Marie. April had told him that couldn't be the case because their species didn't make attachments like that. However, he had pointed out that their relationship as brothers wasn't the norm of their species either, so there was a possibility that Michelangelo was right, and Donatello had bound himself to Marie for the rest of his life. Poor girl. She'd be stuck with this frightening temper and the dominant behaviour forever if they stayed together.

The bo against his chest was tight and painful, and Michelangelo was fighting the urge to cough and choke because of the pressure Donatello was putting on his plastron. But, to his relief, he was met with the sight of Marie rushing towards them with a look of horror on her face.

"Donnie?" Her panicked voice and the gentle feeling of her beautiful hand against his arm seemed to bring Donatello out of his current, uncharacteristic rage, and he blinked for a moment as he realised what he was doing.

He was threatening, maybe even _hurting_ his baby brother. Horrified, he stepped back and cleared his throat, blinking furiously as Michelangelo started to edge away from him, clearly nervous to be near him.

"Mikey..."

"I'll knock next time." Michelangelo said quietly, "I promise. I'm sorry."

"M-Mikey, what did you need?" Donatello asked frantically, watching his little brother's retreating form.

"N-Nothing. It's cool." Michelangelo replied nervously, "I'll just ask Raph or Leo."

"Mikey, wait..." Donatello's voice cracked as he spoke, but his broken plea was ignored by his younger brother, who bolted out of the lab and towards his own room, "Damn it!"

In a sudden rage that startled Marie so much that she physically jolted away from him, Donatello kicked over a stool that was sitting by one of his workbenches before he stalked back to his room. Worried about her boyfriend's state of mind, Marie hurried after him with the hope of being able to calm him down. Without wasting a second, she moved towards him and drew him into a tight, strong embrace, allowing him to bury his face in her neck and shoulder without so much as a word. She held him so lovingly, with a strength he didn't know she possessed.

"Alright..." She spoke so softly, "Take a breath..."

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He asked her, his voice now tight with emotion, "What's _wrong_ with me, Marie?"

Marie released him, hurriedly moved to close the shutter to his room, and then she pulled him towards the bed. They sat together, and Marie instantly moved to cup his face. She knew what was wrong. He was not only depressed but very insecure, which was probably what was causing this aggression. There was only one thing, in her mind, that would help him in this situation.

"You need to talk to your family." She told him, her voice gentle, "If there's one thing I've learned since I met your family, it's that you're a very close unit, and you all take care of each other. They need to know what's going on with your depression so that they can support you."

She tenderly stroked his cheeks with her thumbs, gazing into his defeated eyes. The aggressive behaviour had been getting to worse, and now Donatello was feeling like the world's biggest piece of crap because he knew how bad it was becoming. Marie could see that he was.

"Baby, what's happening to you isn't your fault, but you need help. Your dad would support you, and you know it." She said softly, "The possessiveness over me needs to stop. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you for anybody else, and no-one is trying to take me away from you."

"I'm sorry." He breathed out, swallowing hard.

"I'm not the one you need to apologise to, Donnie." Marie told him, "You need to go and talk to Mikey and tell him that you're sorry. You need to talk to your family about your depression because it's only going to get worse."

"I can't." Donatello replied, "They'll see it as a weakness. I can't be weak in this family, Marie. We weren't raised that way."

"You weren't raised this way either." Marie replied quietly, "Your dad has done nothing but teach you the importance of honesty. From what I've heard from Leo, your dad also wouldn't think you weak for struggling with the trauma of something like a mental illness. It isn't a weakness. Keeping secrets from your family, though? That causes pain to them."

Donatello's eyes were now cast to the floor, and to Marie's dismay, a tear slid down his cheek. She instantly wiped it away, but kept a hold of his face, continuing to try and soothe him by stroking his cheeks with her thumbs.

"I can't watch you go through this anymore, sweetie, I can't..." She whispered, swallowing hard as his fingers wrapped around her wrists, "You've been dealing with this all the time I've known you. I love you, baby. I _love_ you. Please, _please_ , talk to your father at least... This is killing me, and I've got no doubt that it's a million times worse for you."

"Why are you with me?" Donatello asked her, his voice hoarse, "I'm nothing. You deserve so much more..."

" _Stop._ " Marie breathed, her voice high pitched, but quiet, "Stop it, Donnie."

He looked into her now tearful silver eyes, and his heart broke all over again. His hands moved to hold her waist and he squeezed her gently, leaning forward to rest his head to hers. He didn't want to make her cry. He'd done that enough lately, and she didn't need him to be causing her any more upset. As if she hadn't gone through enough of that in her eighteen years of life.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." He whispered, "I love you so much. Please, don't cry."

They were then wrapped in a tight, loving embrace for quite some time before Donatello calmed himself enough to go and apologise to his little brother.

 **~To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	13. Promises

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! I'm so excited by the fact that those of you who are reviewing are speculating about what's going on in this story! You won't have long to wait to find out what's been happening to Donnie, and you may get some more hints to the reason behind his behaviour within the next two chapters. I've started the first chapter of the sequel too, and I have tonnes of stuff planned for that so I'm excited to get into writing that. Thanks for the support so far, guys! It's so amazing. Thank you so much!

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** Lol thank you for that _fabulous_ review! You'll have to read on to find out the truth behind Donnie's behaviour :D I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **The Silvernote:** It is kind of scary to think that someone so well tempered as Donnie could flip out like that, but everyone has their limits, I guess. As for talking to Splinter... Well... Heh, you'll find out about that over the next couple of chapters. Thanks for the review!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Yeah, we can all see that he needs to talk to someone, but the question is, will Donnie be able to tell someone about what's going on? Hmmm... You'll have to read on to find out :P Thanks for the review!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Thirteen: Promises }**

As the next few months passed, Donatello's possessive behaviour, depression and temper became worse.

He never _ever_ took out his anger on Marie, April, or his father. However, his brothers were often subjected to his temper, and this particular side of him was one that they'd never seen before. Now that Marie had graduated from high school, the boys were excited for her to move into her own place, so that they could hang out there with her, rather than her having to always come to the lair, but also, Donatello would be gone several nights a week to stay with her which would keep him out of their way and give them a break from his horrid temper.

Marie and Donatello were still really close, and despite the fact that they'd started to argue about how his behaviour was affecting his family, their relationship seemed to be completely unaffected to everyone else on the outside of it. During this period of time, April had actually received news that a distant relative, a great aunt who she'd never met, had passed away. In her will, the great aunt in question had left April a farmhouse outside the city, with plenty of open land and woods where the turtles and Splinter could freely explore in the open air without the risk of being seen. So, to try and heal the destruction being caused in the family by Donatello's outbursts, April invited the family, and Marie to join her at the farmhouse when the teenager finished school at the end of May. It was a belated celebration of the turtles' birthdays, and it was also to celebrate Marie's successful graduation, and transition into adulthood.

Lauren and Dan had been more than happy for Marie to go, and Marie was incredibly excited. Since they now knew April quite well, they were alright with the teenager staying with the family for a week, even though they still hadn't met her boyfriend. Marie was struggling to avoid the subject because Lauren and Dan were very anxious to meet him, but she didn't think Donatello needed the stress of meeting her surrogate parents when he already had enough difficulty dealing with his depression. His family were still totally unaware of his depression since Donatello was insistent that he could cope with it on his own, but his behaviour towards them was getting worse and worse. April hoped that the break would give everyone a bit of freedom and rest and that it might help Donatello with whatever he was going through.

April's co-worker, Vern, was going to drive everyone up to the farmhouse in a rented van since the brothers' van would attract too much attention, and as the morning of the trip arrived, the turtles' lair was filled with excited chatter. Even Donatello seemed to be in good spirits. Unfortunately for Marie, she was feeling very nervous. She'd promised to go swimming with the boys in the nearby lake since the weather was more than warm enough, but she realised that she'd have to soon admit to them that she couldn't swim.

When her parents died in the car accident, the car had ended up in water. Marie had been trapped in the car at the time, and ever since, she'd been terrified of water to a point where she would scream and cry as a child if she had to go near a swimming pool, or open water. So, Lauren and Dan never made her learn how to swim because they weren't prepared to put her through that kind of distress before every swimming lesson. She had a feeling she'd be laughed at for it. When her so-called friends from school learned she couldn't swim, they hadn't let her live it down for weeks.

"Are you ready, Marie?" Donatello's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and as the dark-haired girl picked up her bag, she smiled and nodded, moving to hold his hand.

Thankfully, Vern had managed to get a very large vehicle, so that the turtles, their father, April and Marie could fit comfortably inside. The cameraman was still stunned that somehow, he'd lost April O'Neil to a talking turtle, but he'd learned very quickly not to make any comment on turtle-human relationships, since Raphael nearly beat the living hell out of him when he freaked out and told April she was sick in the head for sleeping with a mutated animal. Much to everyone's relief, April had managed to get the two to make up, and while relations between them were still very tense, they weren't half as bad as they once had been. Marie wasn't exactly looking forward to witnessing any potential fights between them. That was making her very nervous too.

"Are you okay?" Donatello asked her, "You're tense."

"I'm fine." Marie smiled up at him, "I'm a little tired, is all."

"You can sleep on the way there if you want. It's gonna take us a while to the farmhouse from here." Donatello told her, biting his lip as he took in her forlorn expression.

Marie nodded and cleared her throat. She wouldn't sleep on the way there. She hadn't been sleeping much lately. Her exams had caused her no end of stress, and even though she'd come out of high school with awesome grades, she had other, more pressing matters on her mind. She hoped to God that her boyfriend wouldn't spoil the break by being angry or horrible to his brothers. She was worried. This wasn't the boy she'd fallen in love with all those months ago. They'd been together for five months by this point, and the change in him had been astonishing. She knew that he'd never behaved this way before towards his brothers as well because they'd told her as much, and his behaviour wasn't just hurting them, but it was hurting his father, April and her.

She was contemplating just going to Splinter and telling him everything that was going on with Donatello, just to get it off her chest and to get him the help he needed. But, she had a feeling that her boyfriend wouldn't thank her for that and she wasn't prepared to cause him further, unnecessary distress. Splinter kept asking her if she was alright, and if everything was alright between them. He'd even asked her at one point if Donatello had hurt her, and she found herself feeling nothing but pure alarm and heartbreak at the question. She never believed that Splinter could ask that question about any of his sons, never mind Donatello, since he had always been the more gentle of the boys.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" Donatello asked her, stopping in the doorway to his lab, "Please, tell me..."

He tenderly brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, keeping her hand in his spare one. Marie _wanted_ to ask him to be on his best behaviour. She _wanted_ to ask him not to be aggressive or nasty with his brothers, and she _wanted_ to make him promise to keep his temper. But, she couldn't bring herself to. She knew how hard he was finding life in general at that time, and she didn't want to remind him of faults that he was well aware of. So, instead, she opted to embarrass herself, rather than cause him pain.

"I have to tell you something." She said softly, swallowing hard, "Um... I... I can't swim."

Donatello let out a huff of laughter, which initially caused her to feel a pang of pain and a vicious tide of embarrassment, but he then, to his credit, became very sincere and looked very apologetic when he realised that she was being serious what she'd said and that he'd caused her pain by laughing in response to her admission. He went to apologise but before he could, Marie placed a hand to his lips to make sure he'd listen to her explanation. She couldn't blame him for laughing, really. Swimming was a rather important survival skill, and Donatello, ever the logical thinker, probably assumed that she would've learned to swim at a young age.

"I was involved in the car accident with my mom and dad when they passed away." She said softly, "Our car went into a lake... I was trapped in the car with two dead parents in the front seat. Thank God, some men were fishing nearby and managed to get me out, before I drowned, but... Ever since then, I've been terrified of open water. I know I haven't told you this before..."

"I'm sorry..." Donatello murmured, "I thought you were kidding... It's such an important life skill..."

"I know it is, but I don't go near open water if I can help it." Marie interrupted him with a whisper, "I don't care about the others finding out. I just don't want to be ridiculed for it."

"I won't allow that to happen." He answered her, cupping her face in gentle hands, "Do you think if I was with you, you could go in the water?"

"I... I don't know. Maybe..." Marie shrugged, "I'll warn you, though, if you want to try and coax me into open water against my will, you might have a fight on your hands."

"No pressure." Donatello reassured her, kissing her forehead, "Come on. I bet the others are waiting."

He and Marie walked hand in hand towards the living area, where Michelangelo was busy packing up some comic books. Leonardo was with Splinter, helping him pack some provisions like herbs, tea and the medical supplies that Donatello had carefully selected in case of emergency. Raphael and April were just heading out of Raphael's room, and in a rather sweet gesture, Marie caught a glimpse of Raphael taking April's bag from her and then leaning down to briefly kiss the crown of her head. His protectiveness over her was astounding.

"Are we all ready?" The eldest turtle asked, picking up his and his father's belongings.

Everyone got their own things together, and Marie smiled as Donatello took her bag from her as Raphael had done with April, keeping his arm around her small frame. He leant down and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, before taking her hand to lead her through the tunnels to where Vern would be waiting for them.

This would be the first time that Marie and Vern would meet. All of the turtles, Raphael especially, had warned her that he was a bit of a dick, but Marie wasn't going to judge the guy before she met him. Although the fact that Splinter seemed to share a similar opinion of Vern, despite using more polite terms to describe, made her feel somewhat wary. When they finally got to him, Marie felt Donatello's grip on her hand tighten as the cameraman looked her over for a brief moment. She fought the urge to roll her eyes because she knew he was being possessive again and she tried to worm her hand out of his grip, but he wasn't prepared to let go.

"Hey, Vern." April greeted her co-worker with a warm smile.

"O'Neil." He nodded to her, his eyes moving to the young girl walking beside Donatello, "And you must be Marie."

"Hey." Marie said sweetly, offering the cameraman a shy wave while trying to ignore the tight grip her boyfriend had on her hand.

After some rather tense, but courteous exchanges, the group then got into the van, and Vern started the drive towards the farmhouse. The journey was very pleasant, if a little rocky, and before anyone could register the time, they were pulling into the large driveway of the property. The farmhouse came into view, and everyone grinned when they saw it. It was huge, surrounded by lots of open land, and the lake nearby was just as beautiful as everyone had imagined it to be. The house had large windows with green shutters and a large porch which had an old looking bench sitting out on it.

April had told them there was enough room for both couples to share a room, and for the others to have a room each, which was a great relief, since nobody would have to bunk up. April had designated rooms to everyone to stop any potential fights, and soon, the family was happily settled in. Vern was outside on the grass, firing up the barbecue that he'd found in a storage shed at the back of the farmhouse, Raphael and April were taking a shower together, which greatly disturbed Michelangelo to a point where he offered to go and help Leonardo get their father settled into a chair on the lawn, and Donatello and Marie were organising what would be their bedroom for the week by arranging the few things they'd brought with them and unpacking their other belongings.

"Vern sure has a lot of stories to tell, huh?" Marie said softly as she hung up one of her plaid shirts in the closet.

"Yeah, he does. It's just easier to let him talk because the sooner he talks, the quicker he finishes his story." Her boyfriend replied, placing a small stack of various books on his bedside table, "He's not _so_ bad, but... He takes a bit of getting used to."

After a moment of silence, Marie turned around, holding out a white summer dress with a floral pattern, which had butterfly sleeves and a rather short looking skirt, for Donatello to see. His eyes raked over the garment curiously, and Marie then pulled it back to hold it against her front. She smoothed out the fabric against her front, which made Donatello realise that she was actually going to ask him for his opinion.

"Do you like it? I bought it especially for this week." She looked so excited, and her silver eyes glittered with joy as she smoothed it out once more against her legs, "I thought it might be nice to wear for our date in the woods tomorrow."

Donatello didn't answer. They'd agreed to go for a walk in the woods together the next morning, and while Donatello didn't want Marie to be uncomfortable, he didn't like the idea of her parading around in front of his brothers in a dress that would only cover part of her thighs. He liked the dress, he really did. He knew Marie would look beautiful in it, but... He just didn't feel happy about her wearing an outfit like that in front of other males because God only knew what kind of things Michelangelo and Leonardo would think when they saw her barely covered like that. As for Vern? It didn't bear thinking about. He saw her face fall during this period of silent contemplation, and he knew damn well that she could tell what he was thinking which made the guilt slowly start to worm into his stomach.

"You don't like it, do you...?" She murmured, running a hand through her hair.

"I do like it. Honestly, I love it... I just..."

"You don't want me to wear it."

She looked so defeated that it was heartbreaking. She nodded with what could only be described as resignation, and she hung the pretty dress up in the closet with a very quiet, but sad sigh. She turned back to him with a very forced smile and she moved towards him, resting one hand against his plastron, and the other against his cheek. She knew it wouldn't help matters for her to get angry about what he was thinking, so the best thing that she could do was remove herself from the situation for a while so that she could deal with whatever upset she was feeling about what had just happened.

"Then, I won't wear it." She told him, clearing her throat, "It's fine."

Donatello sighed, gingerly resting his fingers against her waist as he tried to swallow down the lump of emotion in his throat. He wanted these horrid feelings he was experiencing to stop. He hated being so paranoid, because it made Marie feel terrible, and his own brothers were suffering because of it. He just didn't think he could ever be separated from this girl, and any potential threats to their relationship just set him on edge. The idea of Marie being around other males without him drove him mad, but he just couldn't help it. It was maddening for him to not be able to control his own emotions or actions like that.

"Marie, I.."

"I should go and help your brothers." The young girl said suddenly, cutting off Donatello's weak attempt at an apology, "I'll see you downstairs."

She gently kissed his cheek, stroked it once with her thumb, and then walked out of the bedroom, leaving him to stand there by himself, wallowing in guilt and self-loathing. He ran his hands over his face as he sat down on the bed, while his head swam with a multitude of possibilities as to what was wrong with him. He didn't really want to believe it, but he thought that he might have actually _mated_ with Marie. As in, bound himself to her for life. It would explain the aggression, the possessiveness and the horrible sense of loss he felt when she went away. Yet, his species didn't bond like that to their mates. They just did whatever they had to do, and carried on as normal.

It was all so confusing to him. At first, he thought it was just insecurity due to his lack of self-esteem, and because of the steadily worsening depression, but... Now, he started to believe the other theory to hold more truth. His behaviour was causing Marie to suffer in silence because he'd sworn her to secrecy regarding his current mental state, but he just couldn't bring himself to admit to his family that he had a mental illness. Now, he started to honestly believe, even though that it was hard to accept, that he probably wouldn't be able to cope if the two of them were separated for any length of time and if they broke up...? It didn't bear thinking about.

And now, he'd upset her, yet again, by making her feel uncomfortable about wearing an item of clothing that she'd chosen especially for their date tomorrow, and that she really liked. He felt like a total ass, and he knew that if he wasn't suffering from depression, amongst other things, he wouldn't be like this.

He sighed in defeat and moved to look out of the window, only to see Leonardo talking to Marie, who was smoothing out her t-shirt as she turned her gaze towards the lake. He watched her then gently touch Leonardo's arm, pat it softly, and take off in the direction of the water. Leonardo then happened to glance up at the window, where Donatello was standing, before pointing to Marie's retreating form and mouthing, ' _What's up?'_ , only to then witness the sudden disappearance of his brother from the bedroom window.

Donatello raced down the stairs towards the front door of the house, with his heart pounding at the thought of Marie going near open water when she couldn't swim. He got onto the porch in time to see her sit herself down on a bank near the lake, which gave him a sense of relief. At least she wasn't too close to the water.

"Everything okay?"

Donatello looked to his older brother, who had now taken a seat on the grass with a can of Orange Crush in his hand. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, ignoring Leonardo's question before he set off walking after Marie, who was now resting her head on her knees as she looked out at the calm water. Michelangelo and Leonardo shared a look, and they also realised that Vern and Splinter were sharing the same look.

"He's acting weird." Vern stated, taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, he's been acting weird for months. Since he started dating Marie." Leonardo answered, looking up at the cameraman, "Possessive, closed-off, secretive, aggressive... It's not like him at all."

"Possessive over her?" Vern asked, earning a nod from the brothers and their father.

"We believe he may have developed an incredibly deep bond with her." Splinter explained, "He's very protective of her, and when she's away, he keeps to his room and barely speaks to any of us. If Leonardo or Michelangelo look at her in what he deems to be the ' _wrong_ ' way, he becomes agitated and aggressive."

Vern frowned. That didn't sound like Donatello. Sure, the guy could get caught up in a project and end up shut in his room for days, and yes, he could sometimes be snappy if he was tired or stressed, but this? This behaviour was so out of character for him that it even made Vern worried. And poor Marie clearly had a lot to deal with too, if he was possessive over her.

They all turned to see what Donatello was doing, and they watched him steadily ease himself beside Marie, before he gingerly pulled her into his side, almost as though he was scared to touch her. They argued a lot these days, and even though their arguments were private, and dealt with quickly, it was easy to tell when they'd had a fight. It was starting to occur to the family that perhaps things were nowhere near as pleasant as they seemed.

"I wonder what it was about this time..." Leonardo remarked, earning a clueless shrug from Michelangelo, who sat himself down beside their father.

Over by the lake, Donatello rested his head against Marie's, closing his eyes as the scent of her coconut shampoo wafted through the air with the warm, early summer breeze. He tenderly squeezed her side as he then wrapped his free arm around her front, stroking her waist soothingly. Marie leant across him with a weary sigh and held onto him, pressing a kiss to his neck. They held each other for quite some time, neither of them saying a word. It wasn't uncommon for them to do this if they'd argued or they'd had a disagreement.

"I love you, Marie." Donatello was the first to speak, pulling the girl even closer to him to properly embrace her, "Honest to God, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Donnie." She whispered, "But, whether you like it or not, I'll be wearing that dress tomorrow."

"Good. I'm glad." He replied, smiling warmly as she relaxed in his arms, "I'm sorry for upsetting you. It's not my place to make you feel uncomfortable about how you dress."

The tender kiss to his cheek that he received in response assured him that he was forgiven, and it eased the tension and discomfort he was feeling at the thought of her being upset because of him. The two of them slowly stood up from the bank, and then Donatello put an arm around her as they looked out over the water. He could sense the anxiety that Marie was experiencing as she looked at the body of water before them, so he carefully stepped back with her, admiring the view from a little further away.

"Why didn't you tell me, by the way?" He asked her, "You know... That you were in the accident with your parents?"

"I just didn't." She replied, playing with her fingers, "It's not easy to talk about. I saw my parents die, you know? It's just... I don't remember that much... It usually comes to me in flashbacks or nightmares, and..."

"You don't have to talk about it if it hurts you to." He tried to reassure her by carefully taking one of her dainty hands into his own large, awkward one, "It's alright. I just wondered that's all."

He heard her take a shaky breath, so he continued to hold her while stroking her hand with his large thumb. He loved her so much that the slightest thought of her being in emotional pain was almost crippling to him. He couldn't stand it. She didn't deserve to feel pain like this, and she sure as hell didn't deserve the start in life that she'd had. Pressing his lips to her chocolate coloured hair, he gave her a long, lingering kiss to try and show her that he was there for her and that she could talk to him if she needed to.

The sound of Michelangelo squealing brought the two out of their reverie, and they turned to see him fighting with Raphael, who was trying to retrieve something from the younger turtle's grasp. Donatello groaned with a heavy sigh of resignation and then moved to go and help Leonardo break up the rather rough looking playfight. Marie followed behind slowly, watching with a fond smile as Raphael pinned Michelangelo to the floor and snatched what looked like a motorcycle magazine back from the younger brother's hand.

"Raph, baby, calm down." April said softly as Raphael climbed off of his little brother.

"I thought you'd grown out of stealing. Little shit." Raphael growled at the orange-clad turtle, gently easing April out of the way.

Michelangelo was grinning like a mad man on the floor, clearly more than happy with his handiwork, before he rolled over onto his stomach and then sat himself up next to his father, who was gazing at him with what could only be described as exasperation. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, looking across at Raphael as he eased himself down on the grass next to April, before placing the magazine at his side.

"You never learn, do you?" Splinter asked Michelangelo, who then let out an impish giggle.

"I think you should be asking him that." He replied, pointing to Raphael.

"Enough." Splinter said gently, "Now, make yourself useful and help Vern with the barbecue."

* * *

Several hours later, the unusual family had retired to their rooms for the night. Marie was busy brushing her long, chocolate brown locks, while Donatello was lounging on the bed, admiring her slender form as she sat in the window seat, looking out through the glass panes at the starry sky. She was dressed in a pale pink cotton nightdress since it was getting too warm for her to be wearing pyjamas, it left very little to the imagination. Her slender, smooth legs were on display, which was making her all the more irresistible to Donatello. He adored her legs.

"Staring's rude."

A smile came to Donatello's lips at her words, and he cleared his throat, picking up one of the medical textbooks he'd brought with him to start reading it. He continued to grin, turning the pages of the book carefully to find where he'd read to previously. He probably wouldn't be able to actually concentrate on it, but the pretense of reading would be enough for now.

"Forgive me, dear." He said gently, "You're just so beautiful, I can't help but stare."

"Stop it." Marie said, a playful smile coming to her lips, despite her attempts to hide it, "Damn it."

Donatello grinned brightly, pushing his glasses further up his face. He treasured these moments because there was no tension or upset between them. Just playfulness, happiness and love. He looked at her again, taking in her flushed cheeks and her sparkling silver eyes as she gazed right back at him with a loving, playful smile of her own. How he loved her. He didn't think it was possible to love someone the way he loved her.

"What?" She asked him quietly, getting up to put her hairbrush on the small dresser next to the window seat.

"You really are stunningly beautiful." He whispered, swallowing hard, "Come to bed..."

Marie climbed onto the bed and then straddled her boyfriend's waist, causing him to put the medical textbook down. She removed his glasses and then started to remove his mask while his hands softly stroked over the flesh of her thighs in slow, deliberate movements. Marie sighed, placing the mask carefully on the bedside table before gathering up her long hair and moving it over one shoulder, leaving her slender neck visible to the twenty-year-old.

She looked angelic. That was the only term he could think of to describe her in that moment because she honestly looked heavenly. The bedside lamp cast a golden glow on her smooth skin, and her eyes sparkled in the light like shimmering diamonds. He was so lucky to be with someone as beautiful as her. She meant the world to him.

"We are going to have a nice time this week, aren't we?" She asked him softly, lowering her gaze to the fabric of her nightdress.

"We are." Donatello answered her with a firm nod, "I know I already messed up, but it will get better, and we'll have a really great time here. And, when we get back, and you're moved out of the orphanage, we can spend more time together."

He could see that she wasn't convinced. He wasn't an idiot. He knew his behaviour of late wasn't acceptable at all, but he just couldn't control himself, or what he felt. He was scared. He hated being snappy and irritable, and he hated feeling the need to be so protective and possessive over Marie all the time. His poor brothers didn't dare speak to him sometimes because of his temper. Raphael was the one who usually had an appallingly bad temper. Not Donatello.

"I know these past few months have been hard, and... I know how difficult I've made things." He said quietly, "I'm trying to be better, Marie. I really am."

Marie nodded, her gaze still fixed on her fingers as they played with her nightdress. Donatello carefully reached upward so as not to startle her, and he cupped the back of her head and neck to gently ease her forward. He lovingly kissed her forehead after, which caused Marie to emit a shaky breath as she fought hard against the lump in her throat. After a few more moments of silence, Marie eased herself off of Donatello and settled down beside him to sleep.

In an attempt to comfort her, Donatello turned out the light and then curled up behind her, pulling her into his arms to embrace her, and in silence, with tears falling from her silver eyes, Marie prayed that she would be able to fall asleep.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**


	14. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, guys! We're back again with chapter 14. Thanks for the support so far! I'm super excited to get to work on the sequel, so I'll try to get going with that as soon as I can. I've done a minuscule amount of work but I'll do my best to get more done as soon as possible. Just a warning, this chapter contains _**more angst**_ and _**mature/adult content**_ :D Enjoy!

 **The Silvernote:** Yeah, it must be so hard for them to have to live the way they are :/ Feel free to hug them both whenever. I'll pack them up and send them your way :P Thanks for the review!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Honestly, half of the stuff just comes out and I go through to adjust/edit it in the proofreading process. As for Donnie talking to Splinter... You'll have to keep reading to find out more :D Thanks for the review.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** I'm glad to hear how excited you are for this chapter ;) I agree, Donnie does need to talk to Splinter, but I can understand how hard it is for him to open up to his family about something so personal. You'll have to read on to find out what happens with that. Thanks for reviewing!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Fourteen: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back }**

The following morning, Marie and Donatello left the family behind to go for their walk in the woods.

Marie was wearing the pretty summer dress that she had bought especially for the occasion, despite Donatello's reservations, with a pair of white pumps and the lovely necklace she'd bought to go with the outfit. Donatello couldn't help but feel guilty that he'd made her feel uncomfortable about dressing this way. She looked beautiful, and she appeared as though she felt rather pretty too.

They'd been walking for about an hour, and Donatello had been telling her about the various species of plant in the woodland. They'd also been talking about Marie's plans for getting set up in her apartment, and Marie had briefly asked him about meeting Lauren and Dan since they'd been nagging her about it for the past several weeks. Donatello couldn't bring himself to face Marie's surrogate parents because he had a feeling that they wouldn't take too kindly to the fact that the girl they'd raised as a daughter had hooked up with a freakish, mutated turtle.

After reaching a small clearing in the midst of the woodland, the two decided to sit and take a break. Marie had brought a blanket for them to lay on together, so the pair settled atop it to relax in the open air. Marie was exhausted because she'd barely slept the night before, but she didn't have the heart to tell Donatello that she wanted to return to the farmhouse because she knew that the opportunities he had to experience the world in broad daylight were very rare.

She rested against his plastron, quite happy to lay in silence with him as they listened to the sounds of nature around them. She rolled slightly, resting one of her smooth, bare legs atop Donatello's in an attempt to get closer to him. She loved him so much. Being with him was a wonderful and unique experience, even though things seemed to be going downhill, rather than improving at this point in time. He was amazing, and even though he wasn't human, she didn't find this any more unusual than she would find dating a human man. He was clever, handsome, charming, he made her laugh, and he made her feel loved. Well... Most of the time, he did. Occasionally, he upset her or hurt her feelings, but she'd made a resolution to try and be more understanding about his mental health issues and to be less sensitive about his behaviour. Their arguments were sometimes rather ridiculous and Marie knew that their relationship wasn't quite what it used to be because of them.

The feeling of his hand running into her hair brought her out of her thoughts, and she was soon met with her boyfriend's lips gently caressing her own in a very loving and tender kiss. Her insides quivered as he moved slightly, and placed one leg between hers. _Oh_... She knew what he wanted, and the thought of making love with him out in the middle of practically nowhere was a lot more arousing than she expected it to be. As he slowly turned her over, the left sleeve of her dress slipped down from her shoulder, leaving the skin bare and exposed to him. He eased his way between her thighs, kissing her this time much more passionately and deeply than before. After their lips danced together for a few moments, they parted to look at each other, and Donatello, finding it very hard to control himself, touched her cheek with a trembling hand.

"Can we...?"

"Do you want to?" Marie asked him, knowing what he was asking of her.

"I do." Donatello whispered, "It's all I've wanted from the moment I saw you in that dress."

It wasn't a lie. Seeing her looking so beautiful, with so much skin exposed to him... It was incredibly arousing. It was almost as though she was teasing him, even though he knew damn well she wasn't. He found her so irresistible sometimes, and it didn't help that they hadn't been intimate with one another for a few weeks, due to her being so stressed out with her exams.

"I've missed you, and I've missed this." He told her, kissing her again, "If you don't want to..."

"I want to." Marie assured him, cupping his face, "Leave the dress on, though... Just in case.."

Donatello nodded and then kissed her again with a soft sigh as she raised her legs to bring their lower halves together. The last thing they wanted was for her to be caught naked by one of Donatello's family members. Cautiously, he ran his hands up her thighs, under the skirt of her dress, and then he wrapped his fingers around the hem of her white silk underwear. Marie lifted herself upward for him to remove the garment from her, and as he slid the underwear down her legs, he placed it carefully on the blanket beside them, before turning his attention to her neck.

Marie's hand trailed down his plastron as he moved to kiss her neck, searching for the most sensitive part of him as he then started to unfasten his solar panels from his waist. He set them down beside her underwear and then pulled her closer to him while he kissed her neck. Removing his glasses, he then placed those on the blanket too, and as he felt Marie's hand trailing further down his body, he released himself, almost bucking his hips at the feeling of her hand wrapping around him. Their breathing was very heavy already, and as they rested their foreheads together, they gazed into each other's eyes with nothing but love which sent both of their hearts into a frenzy.

He pushed up the skirt of her dress a little as she angled herself to take him before he slid his spare arm around her to bring her closer and cradle her to him protectively. Marie lined him up against her, and as he pushed forward, harder than intended, Marie gasped and shivered at the sudden intrusion. It wasn't painful, much to her surprise, but it certainly caused her to startle a little. Donatello knew he'd pushed a bit too hard, and all he could do was hope that he hadn't just hurt her because he couldn't control himself.

Despite this, their lips met in a heated kiss, and Donatello carefully brought her leg around him with his spare hand before he started to move inside of her. She cupped the back of his head with one hand and held onto him by looping her arm under his to grip his shoulder, letting out a quiet, breathy moan at the sensation of being with him like this. Her heart was racing as he gripped her with a desperation she'd never felt before, and she broke away from his lips to rest her head next to his, focusing on the occasional churr or moan of pleasure that was being breathed into her ear.

They managed to keep quiet, and it didn't last long, but it was probably one of the most passionate, sensual encounters they'd shared together. A lot of pent up tension was released in that intimate, heated embrace, and as they both slowed to a stop following a wonderful climax, the only thing that could be heard apart from the warm breeze and the odd tweeting bird was their heavy breathing. Thankfully, they'd been able to share this time together without interruption.

Easing Marie down in his deceptively strong arms, Donatello cradled her tenderly, gazing at her with glittering eyes as they shared a warm smile, and then a soft, loving kiss. Marie moved to cup his face in her manicured hands and then drew him closer to kiss his forehead, as he'd done to her the night before.

"I love you." She told him, moving to embrace him by wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders.

"I love you too." He answered her, smiling warmly before burying his face in her hair, and breathing in her wonderful scent.

They remained close together for a few moments to get their strength back and redress themselves before they made a move to continue their walk through the woodland together. The experience they'd just shared seemed to temporarily relieve them of the stress and hurt they'd both being going through, and it seemed to bring them just a little closer together, which made them both feel more light-hearted than they had in quite a while.

When they returned to the farmhouse, Donatello's family were none the wiser about what had just transpired between the young couple. The only thing that they did notice was the fact that Donatello and Marie were very close and they were just grateful that the two of them looked happy for once. They were met with the sight of April walking towards the water in a yellow bikini, and the boys were busy bringing chairs, the cooler, and some towels down to the lake.

"Hey, guys!" April greeted them cheerfully, "We're going swimming. Are you coming?"

"Uh, sure..." Donatello replied, squeezing Marie's hand, "We'll come in a minute."

April grinned and continued to walk towards the lake, and the pair were then met by three rather giddy looking turtles, their exasperated looking father, and then Vern, who looked about ready to hit someone. The brothers shot past them and towards the water, while Splinter called after them to calm down. Then, Vern followed with arms full of towels and the portable radio.

At the sound of a large splash, the couple turned to see the brothers in the water, play-fighting and wrestling each other. Rolling his eyes, Donatello turned and led Marie towards the farmhouse, trying to think of the best way to persuade her to venture into the water.

* * *

By the time Donatello and Marie returned, Raphael and April were laying on the bank, both wearing sunglasses and lounged out in a relaxed, but sweet embrace. Raphael kept his girl close but had one arm behind his head, keeping it supported so that he could secretly keep an eye on his brothers and father. It also meant that he could admire his lover's supple body without being deemed a pervert.

He watched his younger brother lead Marie towards the water, and he realised as he looked at the other members of his family, that they were all watching the two of them as well. Donatello had informed them that Marie couldn't swim already, but everyone was curious to see how Donatello would actually manage to get her in the water since she had such a horrendous phobia of it. Holding both of her hands carefully, Donatello eased her in front of him, leaving the entire event in her control.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, earning a small nod from the girl as she squeezed his fingers, "You're perfectly safe. I won't let you go, I promise."

Marie took a deep breath, willing her heart to stop pounding. She'd been feeling so brave in the farmhouse, but now as she stood looking water, she felt utterly terrified. Swallowing hard, she took a step forward, feeling Donatello's grip on her tighten a little. He leant towards her ear, his breath ghosting over her skin as he spoke gently to her.

"Good." He praised her warmly, "You're doing great."

Anyone overhearing him speaking to her may have believed that he was patronising her, but Marie knew differently, and so did he. She was petrified, to a point where Donatello was partially holding her up due to her trembling knees, so any encouragement he could give her would be incredibly helpful for her. Donatello watched her very carefully as she then took another deep breath, and stepped into the water, just so it covered the tops of her feet.

The purple-clad turtle's face was graced with a beautiful, beaming smile, and as Marie turned to look at him, the sight of his joyous expression was enough to make her heart stop beating. She hadn't seen him look so happy in months, and the knowledge that she was the reason for that was more than enough to satisfy her for now. He nodded at her encouragingly, and she took another step. The water was cold, but not unbearable, and Marie felt her confidence growing with each passing second because she knew that Donatello was holding her and she knew he wouldn't let go. She knew he'd _never_ let go.

"Keep going." He said softly, kissing her head, "You're doing so well."

With every step she took, Marie felt more and more proud of herself. She was staring her biggest fear right in the face, and she was walking through it. Literally walking through it. She knew she couldn't have done it without Donatello, but that didn't matter and she knew it didn't because she was in the damn water anyway, and from the sound of her boyfriend's voice, she knew he was proud as well.

Things were going very well until Marie looked up at the open expanse of water. Her vision was suddenly bombarded with faint images of her parents' car going into the water. The _darkness_... The bodies in the front seat, bleeding and unmoving... She could _feel_ the iciness of the water, as though she was plunging into it all over again. A panicked breath left her mouth, and she pushed back against her boyfriend, who let one hand go to carefully encircle her waist with this free arm.

"Take a deep breath." He told her calmly, "You're safe, Marie. You're perfectly safe. I'm with you, and I won't let go. I _won't_ let you go."

She fought him, just for a brief moment, before her vision cleared, and she was met with the warmth of the sun, along with the warmth of her lover's arms. Unbeknownst to her, Donatello's family had witnessed the entire scene, from her arriving by the water, up until now. Each person was amazed, not only that Donatello had been able to keep her there, but also that she'd openly fought her darkest fear, and defeated it. She hadn't had a panic or anxiety attack, and she was still standing in the water.

"There we go." Donatello said sweetly, feeling her lean back against him tiredly, "Well done, honey, I'm so proud of you."

"I think I just had a flashback..." Marie whispered, swallowing hard as bile rose up in her throat, "I-I don't feel well."

Donatello started to draw her back to the bank of the lake, but he wasn't going to remove her from the water. Instead, he sat in a shallower part of the water, and eased Marie into his lap, so that they could be in the water, and look upon the open space while she recovered from the shock of what had just happened. Raphael watched with a fond smile as he saw his brother ease the girl down to sit with him, and then gingerly move her hair out of the way so he could rest his head on her shoulder.

"You're proud of him, aren't you?" April murmured sleepily from where she rested against her boyfriend's plastron.

"Of course I am." Raphael replied, "He's one of the most selfless people you'll ever meet, babe. He's always worrying about other people, rather than himself. It's good to see him take something for himself for once."

"They're cute together, don't you think?" April answered, "They're very well suited for each other."

"Do you think we are?" Raphael asked her, leaning down to kiss her head, "Y'know... Well suited for each other?"

"I do." April grinned, "I keep your ass in line, and you do the same for me."

Raphael chuckled, kissing her once again in more tender, loving fashion, before he started to stroke her hair, hoping to lull her into sleep.

* * *

After their afternoon swimming, Donatello was helping Michelangelo make dinner. In the living room, Vern slept in a nearby chair, snoring quite loudly, while Leonardo and Marie were sitting together on the couch. Leonardo was reading, and Marie was drawing. April and Raphael were in their room, and Splinter was meditating in his. So, Marie was left with Donatello's oldest brother, and didn't really know how to start any kind of conversation with him. Surprisingly, Leonardo did it for her.

"I wish we could shove something in his mouth to shut him up." He growled, looking towards Vern, "I've read the same line about six times."

"I can't concentrate either." Marie replied, clearing her throat as she put her sketchpad on the coffee table with her pencil.

Leonardo looked at the drawing, smiling warmly when he saw she'd drawn Donatello. It was a close likeness too, but he could tell she'd made him appear a tad more handsome than he was. He reached to pick up the sketchpad to look, checking Marie's face for any sign of discomfort or worry as he did so. He didn't want to make her feel as though he was invading her privacy when she was already nervous and uncomfortable around him.

"This is really good." He said quietly.

"Thank you." Marie replied, "He's interesting to draw. All that gear he wears is a bit of a nightmare."

"Are you gonna show him? I bet he'd like to see it." Leonardo said, putting the pad back down.

"I don't know. He might find it creepy." Marie said, closing the sketchbook with a sigh.

Leonardo frowned at the sudden change in her demeanour and he leant a little closer to her so that Donatello wouldn't hear them talking. He knew something wasn't quite right between them, and he'd had this nagging feeling that maybe not everything was as it seemed. She was so reserved these days, as she had been when she first started dating his brother, and she never seemed to be in good spirits.

"Marie, I've been meaning to ask..." He began cautiously, "Are you guys okay? You just both seem to be quite down and tense around each other... Is everything alright?"

"W-We're fine." She stammered, so stunned by his remark that she could barely fathom an answer, "I... I've been so stressed with my exams. It's been hard for us for the past couple of months, you know... Not having much time together and stuff, but we're okay. I promise."

It was better, in her mind, for her to take the blame for Leonardo's suspicions. She didn't want to make him think badly of his younger brother or to cause any more distress for her boyfriend. He'd been going through enough lately, without her making it worse. However, she wanted to just unburden her soul to somebody and to tell them _everything_. She wanted to tell them how Donatello was suffering and how hard it was for both of them to deal with. She just couldn't bring herself to. She could see from the look on the oldest turtle's face that he wasn't convinced, but she tried not to give anything away. She knew she couldn't hide the truth for much longer, but she wanted to at least wait until they'd returned from their vacation before she spoke to anyone.

"If you need anything, you know you can come to any of us, right?" He said quietly, "If you need to talk to someone..."

"Things are fine with us, Leo. Really." Marie replied, brushing her hair behind her ear, "Shall I get us something to drink? How about we have some tea?"

Leonardo simply nodded, knowing not to take the conversation any further. The brunette got out of her seat as she tied her hair into a messy bun, and she went into the kitchen, where Michelangelo was currently sending Donatello to the living area because he was just in the way, apparently. In the doorway, Donatello stopped Marie in her tracks, before he leant down to kiss her while taking her by the waist in what Leonardo could only perceive as a possessive hold.

He released her, earning what was clearly a forced smile from the eighteen-year-old before he went to join his older brother in the living area. As Marie started to prepare some drinks, Leonardo took the opportunity to speak to Donatello. It was hard for the first minute or so to try and work out what to say without offending his brother, but in the end, Leonardo knew he was running out of time to have this conversation, and the sooner he asked the questions, the sooner he'd have the answers.

"Is everything okay with you guys?" He asked quietly, "Marie doesn't really seem to be herself..."

"Oh, we're fine." Donatello replied with a smile, "She's had it tough with her exams lately, and with her leaving home soon, she's been pretty worked up."

"You take care of her, Donnie. She's a nice girl." Leonardo said, looking at his little brother with sad eyes as the purple-clad turtle ducked his head, "Seriously. You're lucky to have her, and she clearly loves you to pieces. Just... Make her happy, huh?"

"I do make her happy." Donatello answered, looking rather affronted, "I do take care of her."

"I'm not saying you don't." Leonardo retorted, "I just... I worry about you both, you know? All I want is for you both to be happy."

"We _are_ happy." Donatello growled out narrowing his eyes as he pushed his glasses up his face, "Thanks, Leo, but you don't need to worry. Marie and I are fine."

The sudden appearance of two mugs being put in front of the brothers startled them into silence. Marie didn't say a word. She kept her head low, smoothed out her dress, and then returned to the kitchen to retrieve her own drink. Donatello and Leonardo shared a look of both shame and embarrassment that she'd heard their conversation. Even though she and Leonardo had shared a similar conversation that Donatello was unaware of, Leonardo knew he shouldn't have pressed the matter further. She must've felt embarrassed, more so than they did, and it wasn't a conversation that either of the brothers would've wanted her to hear.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I'm sorry." She said quietly as she returned with her drink, backing towards the stairs, "I'll leave you guys to it."

"Marie, wait..." Leonardo protested straight away, getting out of his seat.

She ignored him, and instead headed upstairs towards the room she and Donatello were sharing. Donatello looked horrified for a brief moment and then glared harshly at Leonardo before he started to follow her towards their room. He found her sitting on the bed, her cup of tea steaming away on the bedside table, and she had her knees drawn up to her chest as she gazed out of the window at the late afternoon sun. Donatello closed the door behind him and eased himself onto the bed beside her, reaching out to gently tangle his fingers in her hair.

He couldn't help but wonder about where Leonardo had gotten the idea from that he wasn't making Marie happy, or caring for her. Maybe she'd broken her promise and had told him about what had been going on between them for the past few months. They'd been fighting. His depression had been getting worse. Marie was becoming more withdrawn. He'd made her keep quiet about their current situation because he didn't need to be babied by his family, or made to feel any more inadequate than they made him feel sometimes.

"Marie, have you said anything to Leo about my depression?" He asked her cautiously, watching her turn towards him with a look of utter defeat and with tears in those lovely silver eyes.

Gone was the sweet, fun-loving girl he'd entered into a relationship with almost six months before, and instead, he was dating a sad, shy, defeated young woman. He wanted to put an end to her upset and to tell her the truth about his feelings for her. He wanted to be able to talk to his family, but he just couldn't do any of it. He couldn't bear having to not only admit his emotional weaknesses but also face the shame of allowing Marie to suffer in silence like this.

"How _dare_ you?" She asked him, her voice a high-pitched, strangled whisper.

Immediately, Donatello's gaze fell to his feet, and he snatched his hand away from her as though touching her had burned him. How stupid of him to even ask her that question. Of _course_ , she hadn't said anything. She'd made him a promise, and she loved him. Even Leonardo could see that she did. Of course, she hadn't betrayed him like that.

"Sorry." His voice came out much more high-pitched than he'd expected, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably as he bravely lifted his gaze to meet hers again.

She was looking away from him this time, staring back out of the window again. He reached out once more, and started to stroke her hair with his fingers in a very tentative manner, as though any sudden movement would send her running out of the room. She wiped her eyes with her back of her hand, biting her lip to keep from sobbing as she then rested her head against her knees, continuing to look at the tranquillity of the scene outside the window. It was so strange to see the world around her looking so peaceful when her heart and mind were in such chaos and turmoil. He was touching her to try and comfort her, and she wanted him to hold her but at the same time, she didn't want him to touch her because she was hurting so much for him and because of him. It was awful for her and she _hated_ being in so much pain.

"I can't keep doing this." She told him, wincing as a pang of pain shot through her chest, "I can't pretend that everything's alright. I'm so worried about you, and this situation between us is killing me. We're fighting, we're both miserable, your depression is getting worse... I just..."

"Marie, I just... I don't know what to do." He sounded so helpless, but he really just couldn't see a way out of it other than the route he didn't want to take, "I would never intentionally cause you any kind of pain, sweetheart, you know that, right? And I know this is really hard for you, but I just _can't_ tell them. I can't."

Marie wiped at her eyes again, and to Donatello's shock and surprise, she started to sob in utter anguish. He moved further onto the bed and pulled her straight into his arms to hold her. He knew his behaviour was inexcusable, and he knew that what he was asking of her was completely unfair. He couldn't even explain why he found it so hard to talk to his family, or why he was causing her to suffer with him.

"I can't do this anymore, Donnie." She breathed, "I can't hide from this anymore. I love you. I wanna be with you for the rest of my life, but this is killing me. It's _killing_ me. I just wish you'd tell them _something_. I wish you'd tell _me_ why you've been so aggressive with your brothers, lately... I can't..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence. She broke into more sobs, and all Donatello could do was hold her, hush her and apologise into her hair. Unbeknownst to the pair of them, Leonardo had been outside the door and had heard the entire conversation. So _that_ was what had been wrong with Donatello for all this time? He'd been depressed for God only knew how long, and the fact that he'd made Marie keep quiet about it was even worse. What on earth had _she_ been going through for all this time? No wonder she'd been so stressed lately, with having to deal with her exams, moving out of her home, _and_ this as well...

Feeling his heart sink both for his brother and the poor girl who was now sobbing her heart in that bedroom, Leonardo disappeared down the stairs, and he was determined that when they got back home, he was going to be having a serious conversation with his father and Marie, so that Splinter could see what this situation was doing to the young woman, and then they'd be talking to Donatello.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	15. Revelations

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thanks so much again for the support so far! I hope you like this chapter, but I will apologise in advance because it's quite sad. For those of you who are interested, f you check my Deviantart on Valentine's day, you'll find a request picture for _**The Silvernote**_ , which is currently on there as an uncoloured WIP. It will be coloured and shaded, and whatever else I decided to do to it, and I'll be posting it on Valentine's Day when I can. I'm hoping to be spending some much needed quality time with my boyfriend on Valentine's Day so I'll upload that picture when possible.

 **The Silvernote:** I know it's sad... I know. It may get better. You'll have to read on to find out ;) Thanks for the review!

 **J:** Welcome back! It's nice to hear from you again. You're right, Donnie kind of needs to spill the beans sooner rather than later. Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** That review was awesome, thank you! It really made me smile and I'm so glad that you're so into this! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for the review! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the fic so far! I hope you like this chapter.

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Fifteen: Revelations }**

A month passed by after Leonardo had overheard the conversation between Donatello and Marie at the farmhouse.

He'd decided, after reflecting upon the severity of the situation, that he would give Donatello the chance to open up to the family on his own. Following such tearful confessions from Marie, Leonardo would've thought that Donatello's first course of action upon returning to the lair, would've been to at least talk to their father about what had been going on for the past several months. However, during this time, nothing had been said, no effort had been made, and Marie still continued to suffer from the weight of her boyfriend's secrets in silence.

As the weeks after the trip to the farmhouse passed, Marie had managed to get her first job, which was at least forty hours per week, waitressing at a small coffee shop close to her apartment. She had moved in and was adjusting to living alone for the first time, so Leonardo didn't particularly want to add any more stress to her life at this point in time. However, when the month had passed, and Donatello hadn't said a word to anybody, Leonardo decided to take matters into his own hands. He couldn't stand to watch that poor girl suffering in silence anymore because of what could only be described as selfishness on the part of his younger brother. So, after speaking with his father, the two devised a plan so that they could get the truth out of _somebody_ sooner, rather than later.

While Donatello was out on a junkyard run, and while Marie was lounged on the purple-clad turtle's bed watching a movie, Leonardo asked her to go to the dojo with him. Unsure of the reason why he wanted her to go with him, Marie willingly followed him, but when she saw Splinter sitting in the dojo patiently waiting for both of them, her heart sank. They wouldn't have called her to the dojo for any other reason than to ask her if everything was alright with her, and judging by the look on Splinter's face, she realised that they were going to ask about Donatello too. She knew what was about to happen, and she had very little faith in her ability to keep her composure or to keep their secrets any longer.

"Marie, dear, come and sit with me." Splinter said gently, holding his hand out to the eighteen-year-old, who cautiously took it and then eased herself to the floor beside him, "You haven't been your usual, cheerful self of late. Is there anything troubling you that you wish to talk to someone about?"

Splinter's kind tone and the way that he was holding her hand was almost too much for her. When Leonardo then leant closer to her and put his arm around her, squeezing her upper arm reassuringly, Marie could hold onto her emotions no longer. Her free hand was instantly thrown towards her mouth, and within seconds, tears were falling from her eyes onto her denim-clad knees. She heaved with a loud, mournful sob, and in an instant, Leonardo and Splinter were tenderly trying to soothe and comfort her.

After a few moments of distraught sobs, and after Leonardo had kindly offered her a tissue from the box that Splinter had been keeping from her view, Marie managed to calm down a little. Just enough to be able to relate everything that had gone on between herself and her boyfriend over the past six months to his mortified father and brother, all while crying her heart out in Leonardo's arms. Splinter questioned her very carefully and reassured her that he would be speaking to Donatello about what she'd told him. He was angry, though. She could tell that he was angry, and all she could hope was that it wasn't because she'd kept all of this a secret from them.

Just as Marie had managed to regain her composure, and just as she'd finished telling Splinter and Leonardo about everything that was going on, Donatello, who had just returned from his trip to the junkyard, walked into the dojo. Behind him came a very sheepish looking Michelangelo, who had quite obviously let it slip as to where Marie was, and who she was with. Michelangelo didn't know what was going on, but he _did_ know that he wasn't supposed to let Donatello know where Marie, Leonardo and Splinter were.

"What's going on?" Donatello asked, glaring thunderously at Leonardo who still had his arms around Marie.

"Come and sit down, Donatello." Splinter said quietly, "There are _many_ things that we need to discuss."

The sad sigh that he'd just given as he'd spoken told Donatello enough. Not only had Marie broken faith with him and told his family the one thing he didn't want them to know about, but Leonardo was apparently taking the opportunity to be all over her at the same time. He didn't _want_ to sit down opposite the woman who'd betrayed him like that. It wasn't her place to tell anybody anything that wasn't her own concern. How _dare_ she? At the realisation that she'd just done the one thing she'd sworn to him that she'd never do, he wanted nothing more than for her to be out of his sight. He'd trusted her with his _life_ and she'd just shown him that he couldn't trust her at all.

"You told them?" He said accusingly, shaking with anger.

"Donnie, you need to sit down and talk to us about this." Leonardo said softly, rubbing Marie's back, "She's distraught. This isn't her fault."

"How could you?!" He yelled at her, startling her out of Leonardo's hold, "I _trusted_ you!"

"You need help, Donnie!" Marie sobbed, as she got to her feet, "You're _hurting_ people! You're hurting _me_! I love you, and the only thing I want is to help you get better!"

With a bitter laugh, Donatello turned on his heel to leave the room. How could he ever believe that she could love him? If she loved him, she wouldn't have betrayed him like this, and she would've kept her word. He'd given her six months of his life, his love and his trust and she'd just ripped it all to shreds and stamped on it. He was heartbroken and furious all at once that now, because of her, he'd be left at the mercy of his family who would either try to baby him or just see him as the weak link in the chain. He couldn't _bear_ the idea of that. The voice; the same angry, nasty, negative voice that he'd been desperately fighting for six months came back to his head, jeering at him. _Laughing_ at him.

' _You fucking idiot. I_ knew _she'd turn on you in the end. I warned you, didn't I? How could any woman love something like you? You're a fucked up, nerdy, ugly,_ abusive _freak!'_

"I need some air." His cracking voice betrayed the calm appearance he'd hoped to maintain, and just before he left the room, he turned on Marie, who was now giving him the puppy eyes that always seemed to make him feel like the biggest piece of shit in the world, "And, I think, Marie it would be in your best interest to not be here when I get back."

"Donatello!" Splinter's voice boomed through the room, but regardless, the tall turtle walked straight back out, ignoring the angry shouts of his father.

Leonardo, who was now holding onto Marie again, couldn't believe that his brother had treated another person in such a way. Marie had mentioned how his depression had made him snappy and aggressive, but Leonardo never thought that Donatello would treat Marie that way. The young woman broke free of his hold and ran towards Donatello's room in tears, ready to gather her things and leave as she'd been told to.

The blue-clad turtle followed her without hesitation, as did Michelangelo, who had witnessed the outburst and wanted to make sure that Marie was alright. They pleaded with her to stay, but she knew she wasn't wanted there, and she was too upset and humiliated to face anyone after what her boyfriend had just said to her. Michelangelo offered courteously to walk the distraught girl home, while Leonardo and Splinter decided what was best to do with Donatello.

Thankfully, Raphael was staying with April that night, so there wouldn't be his temper to contend with either. They had no doubt that if he had been present, he would've kicked Donatello's ass for treating his girlfriend so disrespectfully, not to mention threatening her. It became clear to the brothers and their father immediately that Marie deemed her relationship with Donatello to be over, because she not only packed up the few bits and pieces she'd brought with her that weekend, but she also packed up the things she had in the drawer that Donatello had emptied for her to use when she stayed over.

"Marie, he's just angry." Leonardo tried to comfort her, "Y-You don't need to take everything. I'm sure he's not so angry that he'd end your relationship."

"It was plainly obvious to me that he wanted nothing more than for me to be out of his sight. Out of his life." Marie sniffled, tearing something out of her sketchbook, "In his mind, I've betrayed his trust and his confidence. He can never, ever rely on me for anything again, in his opinion, so... To me, this is over. Our relationship was falling to pieces anyway. We were just clinging to it by a thread."

Leonardo watched her place the drawing of Donatello on the pillow; the same one that she'd drawn at the farmhouse the month before, and she then walked past him to go and say her goodbyes to Splinter, who was both infuriated and mortified about what had just happened. She then tearfully embraced Leonardo, before allowing Michelangelo to escort her home. She wanted nothing more than to just curl up in her bed and to try and forget everything that had just happened. It was apparent from the look on Michelangelo's face that he was very upset by what had happened as well, and as they stepped into the tunnels, he gingerly took her hand in his own, both to comfort her and himself.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, "Why does Donnie need help?"

"He's been suffering from severe depression for about a year." Marie explained, "It's why he's been so snappy and irritable, and he's been getting worse and worse for quite some time. He made me promise to keep quiet about it, but I just can't deal with it anymore. He's becoming unbearable to be around. He isn't the same guy I fell in love with six months ago."

"And you've had to deal with this alone?" Michelangelo asked, looking utterly horrified.

Marie looked at him with a very sad, very tearful smile, almost of resignation, and Michelangelo stopped them in their tracks to pull the distressed girl into his arms. She was utterly devastated, and anyone who saw her and Donatello together could easily tell how much she loved him, and it pained Michelangelo to think that Donatello had just thrown away someone who genuinely _treasured_ him, and who loved him so dearly. He felt sick to his stomach because not only had Donatello hurt Marie, but he'd made her keep quiet about all of this for their entire relationship and allowed her to become depressed herself.

"It's gonna be okay."

He didn't know what else to say to her. She was so upset, and she was clinging to him like a child would cling to its mother, so Michelangelo knew he had to get her home as soon as he could. Thankfully, they soon got to her apartment, and she let him in through her living room window with tears still pouring down her cheeks. He got her sat down on her sofa so that he could go and make her a hot drink and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders to try and offer her some form of comfort.

As he prepared some coffee for her, he looked out of her kitchen window, wondering where his brother had disappeared to. He hoped to God that Donatello was feeling like the world's biggest jerk because that's what Michelangelo thought he was. Donatello was lucky enough to have found love, yet he didn't seem to appreciate how fortunate he was. Michelangelo and Leonardo had both talked to one another quite deeply about how they'd kill to have something like Donatello and Raphael had with their girlfriends. And now, Donatello had just thrown his relationship away? Shaking his head in both anger and disbelief, Michelangelo concentrated on taking care of Marie, while hoping at the same time that Donatello would return to the lair soon to face the consequences of what he'd just done.

* * *

Donatello didn't return to the lair for two hours. Leonardo had been calling him desperately after Marie had left, and then Raphael had started leaving him rather worried messages as well. Leonardo had clearly told Raphael what had happened, and he knew it was only a matter of time before April and Michelangelo knew, if they didn't already. He'd been going over it in his head, and he couldn't help but feel hurt and betrayed by Marie's actions. She'd broken her word to him and now his family would see him as weak, and even more inferior than they had before. He didn't want her within an inch of him. She'd ruined everything.

"Donatello." The angry tone of his father's voice caused Donatello to still in the entryway he'd just come through, and he looked up to see Splinter, Leonardo, Raphael and April all staring at him with stunned disbelief, "The dojo. _Now_."

Blinking back tears, Donatello sheepishly walked towards his father, who watched him with furious eyes as he stepped into the dojo. He walked further into the room as Splinter closed the shutter behind them, turning to face the ageing rat with his head bowed, and his hands clenched into fists by his sides. He was hurting and tired, and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and try to forget about what had happened, but he knew he was in for a roasting from his father and that he could be held there for quite a while.

"Never in my life would I expect you to behave the way that you did tonight." Splinter began, seething like Donatello had never seen him before, "Your girlfriend; the woman who loves you, and the woman who you supposedly love, unburdened her _soul_ to us, in utter distress, because she is concerned for your health, and your state of mind and you have the _audacity_ to throw her out of our home?"

"She swore to me she'd never tell anyone. She broke her word to me!" Donatello answered, looking up at his father with tearful eyes, "This family already sees me as weak! That's why I asked her not to say anything because I knew you would all think what you think now, that I'm unstable, and that I'm weak! All because of her!"

"My son, suffering from depression is not a weakness. You are not weak!" Splinter sounded annoyed and frustrated as he spoke, "Marie's only interest was you, and your actions, not to mention your insistence on her secrecy has reduced her to nothing but despair! You are much more appreciated in this family than you seem to think. We _love_ you. Marie loves you. We want to help you, Donatello. You must accept that you cannot continue this way."

Donatello swallowed hard, blinking at his father with a tight throat as tears began to soak his mask. Splinter's expression softened, and he moved across to Donatello, easing both of them to the floor to sit down. Those words seemed to be the ones to bring all of Donatello's pent up anger, stress, emotional pain and his internal suffering to the surface, and for the first time since he was a child, he cried his eyes out in his father's arms. It was clear by how distressed he was that Donatello had been carrying this burden for a long, long time, and it pained Splinter to think the young turtle didn't feel able to confide in his own family. What made it worse was that Splinter realised his son would now be having to come to terms with the fact that his relationship with Marie was likely to be over.

"Where's Marie?" Donatello finally managed to ask, his breath hitching through his upset.

"She's gone, Donatello." Splinter said quietly, "She packed up her things and left, just like you told her to. Michelangelo went with her to make sure she got home safely because she was very distressed after you left. She apologised to us and went home. Your brother is still with her now."

"I've really messed up, haven't I?" He whispered, swallowing hard, "I-I should call her and apologise."

"I think you should give her some time to calm down." Splinter replied gently, "You are both highly stressed at the moment, and Marie was very upset when she left us this evening."

"No, I... I need to go and apologise. I don't want our relationship to end because of this." Donatello breathed, "I know it's all my fault."

"I think she believes it to be over already." Splinter told him, looking up as the door to the dojo opened, only to reveal a concerned looking Leonardo, "Yes, my son?"

"Mikey just called." Leonardo answered, warily looking towards his younger brother, "He's staying with Marie tonight. He said she's not really fit to be left alone right now, so..."

"Alright." Splinter nodded quietly, "Donatello wishes to go and visit Marie to apologise."

Leonardo scoffed, surprising both his brother and his father. He was beyond angry with his younger brother. Donatello had no idea how lucky he was, quite clearly, and it was also painfully obvious that he took Marie for granted. He hated to see any of his brothers in pain or distress, but he couldn't help feeling that Donatello had been asking for this for quite some time. If he loved Marie the way he always said he did, he wouldn't have put her through this crap for six months, not to mention the way he'd treated her that night.

"That's not going to be enough this time, Donnie." He said darkly, "The way you treated her earlier was disgusting! I never expected that you, the most compassionate out of all of us, could treat somebody so cruelly. She was so upset and so embarrassed..."

"Leo, I get it." Donatello swallowed hard again, wiping at his eyes, "I know, okay? I know everything that you're telling me. You don't understand. I-I can't be separated from her. I can't. I love her so deeply, you just don't... You don't _understand_."

"Then _help_ me understand, Donnie. Help _us_ understand." Leonardo answered with urgency in his voice, moving to join his brother and father on the floor, while April and Raphael worriedly stepped into the room behind him.

" _I_ don't quite understand it, but... I think she's my _mate_." Donatello breathed, sniffling and wiping his eyes, "I love her so much that it's beyond my own understanding, and I... I _can't_ be without her. I don't know what came over me earlier, or why I treated her that way. I hate it. I can't control any of this, and it's just _awful_..."

"That's why you've been so aggressive?" April spoke softly from her place by Raphael, "That's why you don't like her being left alone with other males? You've _mated_ with her...? For _life_?"

Donatello could only nod in response to her questions, and the reporter ran her fingers through her hair as she leant into Raphael's side while blowing air out through her mouth. The fact that their evening had been disturbed didn't even enter her head or Raphael's. They were so upset about what had happened, for both Marie and Donatello, and now, April was worried because this separation from Marie might be very damaging to him. This, combined with the depression explained _everything_. Now, everyone understood why Donatello's behaviour and temper had been so volatile, and now, his family were even more upset and angry with the both him and the situation.

"Donnie, I understand that you've found all of this difficult to admit, and I can't imagine how hard this has been for you to go through all this time..." April said as she then moved towards the tallest turtle slowly, sitting before him to take his hand, "But, Marie's been suffering too. All the time you've kept this from us, you've gotten worse, and worse, to a point where she just couldn't handle it anymore. You do understand that you've been damaging her, don't you? Your actions have been causing her a lot of pain..."

"I know." Donatello said weakly, "I know, April."

"That's why she told someone what was happening, Donnie. She was hurting so badly for you." April said, tenderly squeezing his hand, "Give her some time and talk to her, okay? It's obvious that you both love one another very much. I'm sure that you can work things out and things can get better."

Donatello could only hope that April was right. Time was, apparently, a great healer. Maybe if they had some time to calm down after the emotional events of that night, they could work their problems out together. Maybe, just _maybe_ he hadn't destroyed the best thing that had ever happened to him.

* * *

Michelangelo returned the following morning and gave the family a brief update as to how Marie was. He'd left her as she was getting ready for her shift at the coffee shop, and he'd made sure that she'd eaten something before he left since she couldn't stomach food the night before. She'd arranged for her surrogate parents to pay her a visit later that day so that she could explain that her relationship with Donatello was over, and so that she could hopefully recover a little from the distressing situation with her loved ones.

Donatello had been devastated to hear that she considered their relationship to be over, and he'd had to leave the breakfast table in his own upset state. April had gone after him and sat with him for a while, but trying to comfort him proved to be rather unsuccessful. She then decided to send Raphael into Donatello's room with the hopes that being with his more understanding brother might help. So, as Raphael carefully moved into Donatello's room, he was bracing himself to be met with a multitude of emotions from his younger brother. Raphael found him sitting at his other makeshift desk with his laptop open, typing frantically away at the keyboard.

"Hey, man..." Raphael said, caution lacing his voice "What are you doing?"

"Writing to Marie." Donatello answered, "I-I'm going to explain everything and... I'm going to promise her that I'll get better, and I'll never do anything like this to her again. I can't be without her, and I'm going to make sure she knows how important she is to me. Maybe she'll come back, then..."

"Donnie..." Raphael's voice almost broke as he stared at his distressed younger brother, "Dude, just stop for a minute and think about this..."

"Raph, you don't understand. I _can't_ be without her. I can't." Donatello breathed, "I'm bound to her for life... She's my _life_ , Raph, I can't..."

The strange, strangled sound that escaped his throat caused Raphael to stiffen where he stood. It was so mournful and so _pained_ that it hurt Raphael to hear it. Donatello was suffering terribly, and it was because of the bond he'd developed with Marie, which made the situation even worse. Stepping closer to his brother, Raphael grabbed the spare chair that Donatello kept by the shutter to his room, and he moved closer to the younger turtle, who was very emotional as he tapped away at the keyboard. Placing a gentle hand on the back of his brother's neck, Raphael tried to pull him away from the screen to just offer him _something_. Whatever comfort he needed.

"It's gonna be alright." He said quietly, "You'll see it in the end, man, it'll be okay."

"I ruined _everything_ , because of my own pride and stupid insecurities!" Donatello replied in a near whisper, "She's the best thing that ever happened to me, and I blew it, Raph! I need her to come back to me!"

"Donnie..."

The fight to keep his composure was lost, and Donatello put his hands to his head in utter despair. Raphael grimaced and moved his hand to the younger turtle's shoulder and then pulled him closer to hug him. The red-clad turtle didn't do this very often, but Donatello was in so much pain that Raphael couldn't sit there and not comfort him, so he tenderly wrapped his younger brother in his arms, who proceeded to break down, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. It seemed that Donatello was having a really hard time keeping his emotions in check now, and Raphael was actually grateful for that. At least they'd all know what he was feeling rather than him keeping secrets again.

"Alright, bro, just let it out." Raphael murmured, rubbing Donatello's shell, "You're gonna be fine, Donnie, I promise."

"I screwed up so badly, Raph... I'm not who I used to be, and I've changed her too."

"We're gonna help you through this, okay?" Raphael promised him, "And as for Marie, you ought to go and talk to her, face to face. Take her some flowers, maybe..."

"She won't want to see me." Donatello murmured, wiping at his eyes as he sat back in his seat, "At least an email or a message can be read in her own time, and then she can decide what she wants to do."

He took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes again, trying to regain his composure. He felt so stupid for crying on his older brother like that, and he felt like Raphael probably thought him stupid for doing so. He was now feeling even worse than he had been before.

"Sorry, Raph." He said quietly, ducking his head in embarrassment and shame.

"No, dude, don't... I'd be devastated if April..."

Raphael couldn't even finish the sentence because of the tightness in his throat that came with the thought of losing April or breaking up with her, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before looking up towards his younger brother, who returned to his typing. He didn't really know what else to do. It wasn't normal for Donatello to be emotional like that, and it was even worse because Raphael had no idea how to help him.

"It _will_ be okay, Donnie. Honest." The hulking turtle's voice was soft, "You want some coffee? Something to eat, maybe?"

"Coffee would be good, thanks." Donatello sniffled, "I-I'm not hungry."

Raphael slowly slipped out of the room and headed to make his brother some coffee. He didn't realise that this ' _mating_ ' thing was so serious, and clearly, the separation was proving to be more painful than anticipated. He wondered if Marie simply thought that her relationship with his brother was over because of Donatello's behaviour the previous night, or if she'd maybe grown so tired of what had been occurring between them, that she was giving up.

He hoped for the former. He really, _really_ hoped and prayed for the former. He wondered how she was coping at work, and if she was feeling the separation as harshly as Donatello was. As he made his brother the coffee, Raphael tried to think of a way to explain what had just happened to the rest of the family.

Back in his room, Donatello finished the message and spent a good hour going back and forth over it to try and make sure it sounded just right. It read:

 _'Marie,_

 _The reason I'm writing to you rather than visiting you is that I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or upset you any further after my behaviour last night._

 _I wanted to apologise whole-heartedly for the way I spoke to you and the way I treated you yesterday. I also want to apologise for how I've treated you, and for what I've put you through during the course of our relationship. It was never my intention to hurt you, and I didn't think about how much of a burden, and how emotionally draining the responsibility that I laid on your shoulders would be for you. It was so selfish of me, and as I look upon the past six months with this in mind, I can't help but feel that I've not only done you a severe injustice but that I've also caused you untold amounts of emotional pain and stress._

 _I want you to know that I love you more deeply and more passionately than words can describe. The thought of you being in any kind of pain is unbelievably distressing to me, and knowing that I've caused you to be in emotional pain is horrific to me too. I do love you, so much. My reaction last night was unwarranted and completely unfair. After speaking with my father, I now realise how foolish I've been to think that my family would treat me differently for having a mental illness, and I realise you were only acting in the best interests of both of us and our relationship._

 _I understand that you believe our relationship to be over. Whether that is due to my actions last night, or whether you no longer wish to be in a relationship with me, I don't know. But, I want you to know that I feel nothing but love and admiration for you, and if you still want to continue our relationship, I swear to you that I will accept the help my family have offered to me, and I promise that I will do whatever I can to ensure that you know how loved and appreciated you are, every day. I know that I have been making you feel the very opposite of that for quite some time, and for that I'm sorry._

 _If you need time to think things over, I can give you time. I'll wait for you for an eternity if I have to. I do still love you, and I do still want to be with you. I'm sorry for everything._

 _With love,  
Donnie.'_

With a deep breath, Donatello clicked the send button on the email, sending the message to Marie's email address. The only thing he could do now was patiently wait for her to respond, so in the meantime, he had to find something to occupy his mind.

Determined to fulfil the promise he'd just made in his email to Marie, he decided to take his father up on his initial offer of help, and he wanted to open up about everything he'd been going through for the past year.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	16. Moving Forward

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, guys! We're back again with another chapter, and I should probably let you know that we are close to the end of this first fic. I will be posting the summary of the sequel and it's title when I publish the last chapter, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for all the continued support so far. You guys are awesome!

 **The Silvernote:** Thanks for reviewing! Lol, I know I can be pretty mean, but you'll have to read on to find out if I stop torturing them or not :D

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Luckily, you haven't had to wait long to find out! Here's your update and thanks for reviewing!

 **NinjaTurtleLover001:** I did warn you, didn't I? Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Sixteen: Moving Forward }**

Marie wiped her eyes on another tissue as Lauren gently rubbed her back, and Dan sat another cup of coffee in front of her.

They'd been at Marie's apartment for about an hour, listening to her relay the whole story from the night she and Donatello got together, to now. Of course, Marie didn't mention the fact that Donatello was a mutated turtle, or that he lived in the sewers, but she was still able to tell her guardians what had happened without them asking any uncomfortable or awkward questions. Just being with them at that point in time was a great comfort to the eighteen-year-old.

"Has he spoken to you at all since yesterday?" Lauren asked gently.

"Th-there's an email, but I haven't looked at it yet." Marie replied, dabbing at her eyes as she reached for her surrogate father's hand, "I know I went back on my word to him. I know I probably shouldn't have but I couldn't bear to see him suffering anymore. I just couldn't, and _I_ couldn't cope anymore."

"Sweetheart, you've done nothing wrong, and once Donnie's had a chance to calm down and think about what happened, he'll realise the same thing." Dan said, sitting beside the eighteen-year-old to hold her hand, "If he wasn't ready to open up to his family, he may have just felt threatened and scared at the thought of finally having to get everything off his chest. But, you did the right thing by him, and he'll realise that you did it out of nothing but love for him."

"I do love him. I love him more than I ever thought it possible to love someone." Marie explained, breaking into sobs again, "He's my world. He means everything to me. And I'm just hoping and praying that our relationship isn't over. I've tried to resign myself to the fact that is, you know... To try and lessen the pain if he actually ends things with me. But, I want to be with him. I just want to help him and I want to make him happy."

Lauren and Dan nodded in understanding and tried to offer her whatever comfort they could. She clearly felt guilty, and unbelievably upset. She looked exhausted, and it was obvious that she'd just done her ten-hour shift on very little sleep, and Lauren was questioning staying over for the night so that Marie didn't have to be by herself at what was quite obviously a very difficult time for her. She'd hate to think that the girl she considered a daughter would be left to suffer on her own. First relationships were always hard, and the first break up a person went through was always incredibly difficult to deal with.

"Sweetie, I can stay, if you want me to." She offered, brushing a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear, "I understand if you don't want to be alone."

"No... Thank you, I'll be fine." Marie said with a tearful smile, wiping at her eyes with a clean tissue, "I need to hear what he has to say in his email, and I'll take things from there. I have to think about what's best for both of us. Right now, I think that he needs to get some help. I want to be there to support him but I don't want to just continue like nothing's happened. I want him to show me that things are going to change if he hasn't given up on us."

"You're such a wise girl, Marie." Lauren said affectionately, kissing the young woman's head, "I really hope you guys can work things out, and if you do, you need to focus on spending time with each other and getting back into a better state of mind."

"We have to get back to the orphanage, honey, I'm sorry." Dan said quietly, "We'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Marie nodded, embraced both surrogate parents, and then walked them to the apartment door to say her goodbyes. Once they'd gone, Marie took a shower, tried to eat some dinner, and then finally sat down to read the email that Donatello had sent. She took a deep breath before opening it, desperately fighting the next wave of tears that threatened to debilitate her, and then finally, she bravely clicked on the email and began to read.

Her heart clenched painfully in her chest as she read the words Donatello had written to her. His acceptance of responsibility for everything that had happened, his apologies, and his words of love were so difficult for her to read in her emotional state. She pressed on regardless, and when she realised that he wasn't prepared to let her go and that he was going to accept his family's offer of help, she knew she needed to have a good, long think about what was best to do.

She paced her apartment back and forth, trying to come up with a solution that would benefit the both of them. She decided that ending their relationship or taking a break would only cause more damage, and she didn't want to be separated from him since she could tell from his email that he was suffering enough as it was. So, she wrote down a list of things that she thought would make a better impact on both their emotional and mental states and then decided to call Donatello to invite him over so that they could talk things out.

Donatello had sounded very emotional on the phone, and he'd promised to head to her apartment as soon as it got dark. Marie decided to prepare some food for them and set up her small dining table so that they could have a civilised dinner together and talk things over. She made a pepperoni pasta bake and then changed into something smarter than what she was currently wearing. So, finally, dressed in a pastel yellow cardigan with a teal vest underneath, and in a pair of dark blue jeans, Marie tied her hair up into a bun and put the pasta bake in the oven to cook. Donatello had already messaged her to say that he was on his way, so she busied herself with lighting some candles to make the atmosphere peaceful and putting on some quiet, instrumental music.

When he arrived, Donatello could smell the food cooking, and he looked through her living room window to see her dabbing her eyes with a tissue as she sat on the couch. He gingerly tapped on the window, which caused her to startle and glance at him with a momentarily fearful expression. He mouthed an apology at her through the window, and she instantly moved to let him in. She was stunned by his appearance as she looked at him, even in the dim light of her living room. He was very pale, with heavy eyes that were a little bloodshot from crying. That and tiredness, probably. He was trembling, and his expression was one of nervous uncertainty, which caused the eighteen-year-old's heart to pang in her chest. He climbed through into the living room without a word, and Marie closed the window behind him before she then closed the curtains.

They said gentle greetings, and rather than sharing a kiss on the lips, Donatello settled for kissing her cheek instead in a more platonic, rather than a romantic greeting. He still didn't know her sentiments towards him and their relationship at that time, and he didn't want her to think he was presuming anything, or that he was being forward. She accepted the kiss, even though he could see that the contact pained her, and he found that she couldn't meet his eyes as she cleared her throat to address him.

"I thought you might like some dinner." She said quietly, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear, "It's pepperoni pasta bake. I hope that's alright."

"That sounds great, thanks," Donatello answered, moving closer to sit at the table as she went to check on the food.

"Would you like some tea?" She asked him.

"Please." Donatello replied, anxiously rubbing his hands together as she busied herself with moving around the kitchen.

She soon returned with two cups of tea, and then took her place opposite him, putting their drinks in front of them. For a few, uncomfortable moments, neither of them said a word to each other. But finally, bravely, Donatello reached out and carefully enclosed his hand around hers. Thankfully, she didn't flinch or pull away, or anything of the kind. In fact, she curled her other hand around his, stroking his rough skin with her thumb tenderly.

"Donnie, I want you to know that if you don't consider our relationship to be over, then neither do I." She began, clearing her throat nervously, "I love you dearly, and I know that I went back on my word to you yesterday, but I did it because I love you, and I wanted to try and save what we have."

Donatello squeezed her hand. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and how sorry he was, even though he'd already done so in his email, but he knew that she needed to get everything that she felt into the open first. The least he could do was let her get whatever anxieties and stresses she was feeling out of her system, since he'd caused her an unbelievable amount of the upset the day before.

"I feel that our priorities right now should be our own mental states. So, I know that you've accepted the help you need from your family, and I've signed up for a yoga class to help me find some inner peace, which will take up one night a week. I'm also dedicating a couple of nights a week to work on my art, and then I've saved one of my days off to spend with Lauren and Dan. And then, I'm taking a couple of nights a week to have to myself." Marie took a deep breath, taking in the dejected look on Donatello's face, "The remaining day off will be spent with you, and we can do something nice together. I won't be spending the night with you, and I won't be going to bed with you."

"W-why?" Donatello asked her, confused and saddened that his time with her would be so restricted.

"Because I want to rebuild our emotional connection first." Marie said quietly, "We both need separation, and time for ourselves, as well as time together. I want us to plan to do something nice together, so we have something to look forward to. I want our physical relationship to be a secondary priority because of your current issues with aggression and possessiveness over me. I want you to get some help from your family in dealing with those issues before we continue our intimate physical relationship."

"I see." Donatello murmured, swallowing hard, "Marie, I haven't told you the reason for my aggression, and I didn't feel it was appropriate to explain it in my email to you."

"Okay." Marie waited patiently and adjusted her hold on his hand slightly, as though offering him comfort.

"M-My species aren't the type to mate with each other for life. It isn't in our nature." Donatello explained, clearing his throat awkwardly before pushing his glasses back up onto his face, "However, I think that my jealousy and my over-protectiveness over you... My _possessiveness_ over you... I think it's because I've mated with you. When we're separated I feel physically unwell sometimes... I can't stand it, and if another male is hanging around you I feel the need to protect you and fight for you. I feel the need to _claim_ you... It's not something I have any control over, and I can't stand it that my personality seems to change so drastically because of it. However, I am going to try to learn how to deal with it in a much better way than I have been before."

"So, are you saying that you've chosen me as a life partner? As your mate?" She asked, "But... But subconsciously?"

"I believe so." Donatello replied, looking towards their entwined hands, "I'm not saying that you have to be with me for the rest of your life... I would respect any decision you made to end our relationship if you felt it was the right thing to do, but... I'm just trying to give you an answer for my horrendous behaviour towards you and my brothers."

Marie grimaced and bit her lip, drawing his large hand to her lips to kiss it gently. Her poor Donnie... She'd been so angry about his behaviour towards his family, and it was something that he had no control over at all, which made her feel so much more guilty than she did already. If she'd been aware that the reason behind his behaviour was something like this, she wouldn't have been anywhere near as angry with him. Donatello let out a shaky breath, and he then returned the gesture, drawing her hand closer to kiss it.

"I love you, Marie." He told her, "And I'm determined to improve things for us. I'm determined that you and I can have a better relationship and a better future."

"I know you are." Marie whispered, smiling at him tearfully, "So am I. But, I really need you to prove to me that things have changed and that you're in a better place. We can't have another six months like these have been."

"I know, and I'll do whatever you ask of me." Donatello said, nodding as though to emphasise the point as a lump formed in his throat, "I hope you can forgive me."

At his words, Marie left her seat and moved to embrace him. He stood as well, enveloping her in his arms as she wrapped hers around his neck, and gingerly, their lips met in a gentle kiss. Donatello's stomach flipped with joy, and he tightened his hold on her, but Marie could sense this time that it was out of nothing but love and relief. They shared another kiss, this time more emotional and passionate, and as they released one another, their foreheads touched as relief and joy washed over them for the first time in months. He knew that he wasn't forgiven because she still wasn't totally at ease with him, but at least he knew he had a chance to earn her forgiveness over time and that he hadn't lost her.

"I love you so much." He whispered.

"I love you too." Marie whispered back, "Now, sit down. Dinner will be ready any minute."

Doing as she asked, Donatello sat down in his seat and took a sip of tea, while his mate went to the oven to serve up their dinner. His _mate_. She hadn't objected or appeared upset with the fact that he'd effectively bound himself to her for life. So, maybe what she'd said back at the farmhouse the month before had been true. Maybe she really did want to spend the rest of her life with him. A rush of excitement and a feeling of overwhelming humility shot through him all at once as this realisation washed over him. What a lucky turtle he was.

* * *

"So, how'd it go?"

To say that Donatello was surprised at the sight of Raphael rushing towards him with an eager look on his face was an understatement as he entered the lair. He looked his brother over briefly with concern, but then decided it would be best to just explain how things had gone, rather than question Raphael's sanity.

"Um, it went well... We're still together, and Marie has asked a few things of me that will hopefully benefit us, going forward."

"What things?" Michelangelo piped up from his place on the couch.

"I should probably explain what's going to be happening from now on when everyone's here." Donatello answered quietly, "I don't want to have to repeat myself numerous times."

Raphael didn't hesitate before gathering the rest of the family, so they could hear what Donatello had to say. He explained what Marie had asked of him with regards to their relationship, having time together, time apart, and ensuring to partake in activities to improve their states of mental health. Marie was now suffering from depression, and her anxiety had gotten worse again, so the important thing was for both of them to get better.

His family listened and encouraged the ideas that Marie had put forward. They also tried to be supportive and encouraging when Donatello told them that he wasn't looking forward to the long periods of separation from Marie, and they tried to give him suggestions as to how he and Marie could make the separation easier to deal with. Donatello felt quite at peace for the first time in a long time. His family were being helpful, without being patronising, and after their little gathering, he went to the dojo with his father to meditate, and then they'd have a kind of counselling session. Splinter just wanted to offer his son an opportunity to get everything off his chest, and the meditation was to help Donatello relax beforehand. Because Donatello wasn't always comfortable with meditation, Leonardo had offered to go and sit with him, and partake in the meditation process, and for the first time in quite a while, Donatello was able to fully relax into his meditative state, and actually enjoyed meditating, rather than his brain being too busy to allow him to enjoy it.

He then sat alone with his father and opened up to him about when his depression first started, and about how he first met Marie. Marie had been there for him as a friend from the earliest days of depression, and he spoke very deeply to Splinter about how Marie had been his saving grace; his _salvation_ and Splinter listened with all the compassion and understanding that somebody could hope for from their father.

Splinter watched his son go through a whole range of emotions during that time. Sadness, anger, joy, excitement, fear... It was unbelievably hard to sit there and hear his son describing his emotional turmoil, and to hear about how he believed the rest of the family saw him. Splinter never favoured any of his sons, even though it was hard to convince them of that sometimes. Leonardo was the favourite in the eyes of Raphael, and it had caused no end of arguments between both boys. Donatello and Michelangelo felt inferior to Leonardo and Raphael, and the older boys hadn't helped that situation since they'd dubbed Donatello and Michelangelo as the 'B' team. Splinter sat with Donatello for quite a while and had done everything he could to reassure him that he loved all his boys equally and that by no means was he to think himself inferior.

After their time together, Splinter sent Donatello to bed, simply because he could see how exhausted the turtle was due to the stress and anxiety of the past few days. Donatello did as he was asked, and went to his room for the night to rest. Once he got inside, he closed the shutter and started to take off his gear, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He checked the time. It was now eleven in the evening. Far too late to call Marie, which was a shame, because Donatello wanted nothing more than to hear her voice before he went to sleep.

Instead, he opened up the messaging app on his phone and sent her a loving goodnight message, before he then got into bed. To his amazement, he received a call from Marie just moments after he's messaged her, and with a contented sigh, he answered it and brought the phone to his ear. It was almost as if she knew that he needed to hear her voice, and Donatello couldn't help but sag with relief because she'd called him.

"Hey." He said quietly, hearing a warm laugh from the other end of the line.

" _Hi, baby."_ Marie's voice was tender and sweet as she spoke to him, _"So, how was your first session with your dad?"_

"It went okay." Donatello said, swallowing hard, "I-I feel a little better for talking to him. It wasn't easy, but..."

" _I know it can't have been easy, but you did it."_ He could tell that she was smiling on the other end of the line, _"I'm so proud of you."_

"Thanks." Donatello murmured, "So, what are you up to?"

 _"Well, I was going to read for a while before I try and get to sleep, but... I wanted to call you instead. I figured you'd still be up."_ She answered sweetly, _"I called to tell you that I love you, and I also wanted to make sure that you were okay."_

"I'm alright. Missing you like crazy." Donatello admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, "I want nothing more than to be with you right now."

He heard a soft, sad sigh on the other end of the line which caused his heart to clench painfully in his chest.

" _I'm not gonna lie. I'm missing you like crazy too."_ Marie replied, _"But, this extra time apart going to do us both good. Seeing each other once a week gives us something to look forward to, and it means we can focus our other energy on more productive things to help us both get to a better place, and we can fix our relationship. We're hanging by a thread, sweetheart, you know we are."_

Donatello sighed. He did know that they were hanging by a thread. He realised that she was right and that they needed to get their heads in order, and then work on their emotional connection before things could go back to normal. It wasn't healthy for them to be living the way they were at that time. He knew that these rules were probably partly a punishment from her, too, since he'd put her through hell for the past few months. He could hardly blame her for punishing him either.

"I know, and I know why we're doing this. I just wish it wasn't so hard."

He bit his lip in a desperate attempt to keep it from trembling. He hated being parted from her more than he ever thought possible, and he only wished that he could take back what had happened over the past few months so that she wouldn't feel that this separation was necessary. He wanted her to be with him so that he knew she was safe, and so that he could love her and hold her, but he also knew that it was his own damn fault that he couldn't do that.

" _I know. I'm finding it just as hard as you are."_ Marie told him, her voice tight with emotion, _"I-I love you, honey."_

"I love you too." Donatello breathed out, closing his eyes tightly, "I-I have to go, Marie. Leo wants me for something. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Now he was lying to her, and while he felt guilty about that, he didn't feel able to continue the call with her because it was so difficult for him to not be with her. He was almost in tears as it was. He was sure that if he was on the phone with her for much longer, he'd break down yet again, and he didn't want another uncontrollable emotional outburst like the ones he'd had before.

" _Alright."_ Marie said gently, _"Sleep tight, Donnie."_

"You too." He managed to get the words out without sounding upset, much to his amazement, "Goodnight."

He hung up the phone, and after taking a rather deep breath, he managed to calm down enough to continue with his bedtime routine. He took a shower, got into bed, and tried to settle down to sleep. Then, the smell hit him. Marie's scent was all over the pillow beside him, and it caused a harsh lump to form in his throat. Taking the pillow into his arms, he settled it carefully, almost as though he was cradling his mate rather than her pillow, and he breathed in her scent, nuzzling as far into it as he could.

* * *

The next morning, Donatello woke up bright an early, and he immediately sent Marie a message, before he got out of bed to start the day. He had a happy breakfast with his family, he actually managed to beat Raphael in morning training, and he spent his day upgrading his father's television and upgrading Michelangelo's gaming system.

It came to dinner time, however, and Donatello sat down to the meal with his family in much lower spirits than he had been earlier. It was clear to everyone that he was missing Marie terribly. He looked to where she would be normally sitting beside him, and he swallowed hard, biting his lip briefly at the sight of the empty seat. His family were astounded at the extreme reaction to her not being there. He was looking at the empty chair as if Marie would never occupy it again, almost like he was _grieving_.

He ate what he could of his meal, despite his current feelings, and he tried to make an effort to have conversations with his family, even though he was obviously in emotional distress. He offered to wash the dishes afterwards, and Leonardo, concerned for his younger brother, stayed behind to help. They worked in silence for a few minutes before Leonardo cleared his throat, looking towards his brother warily. He couldn't help but feel partially responsible for the current situation since he'd been the one to tell Splinter what he'd overheard at the farm.

"So, have you had any ideas about what you and Marie are going to do for your date night?" He asked, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"I'm sorry, Leo, I just... I don't really want to talk about Marie right now." Donatello replied quietly, "The only thing I want is to be with her and... I only get one day a week with her now, so..."

"Donnie, does she know how serious this mating thing is?" Leonardo asked him gently, "Did you tell her how much you suffer without her? Because that's what I can see right now... You're suffering."

"I'm suffering for her sake." Donatello said, handing him another plate to dry down with a towel, "She asked me to do this. I want to show her that she can trust me and that I respect her wishes. I know you're worried about me, but you don't need to be. I'll learn to deal with it. I didn't want to burden her with any more feelings of guilt. I've given her enough of those already."

"Things will get better, Donnie. You'll see." Leonardo tried to reassure him a little.

"Thanks, Leo." Donatello smiled at him, handing him the final piece of crockery to dry, "I have a bit of a headache. I'm gonna go and lie down."

"Are you okay?" Leonardo asked, drying the plate off quickly, "Do you need anything?"

"N-No, I'm alright." Donatello replied, carefully passing his older brother to walk back to his room, "I just need to rest my head for a while."

Leonardo watched him say a quiet goodnight to the others before he disappeared into his lab. The sound of the shutters closing made the older turtle realise that he probably wasn't coming back out that night. Leonardo also knew that Donatello didn't have a headache. He'd been in a strange mood all day, and he was obviously not coping very well at all without Marie. It made Leonardo wonder if he should make her aware of the serious impact that the separation was having on him. He didn't want to interfere, but for the sake of his brother... Maybe a simple, friendly visit wouldn't hurt. He walked over to where his family were sitting and he cleared his throat to catch their attention.

"I'm going to see Marie." He said quietly, "I can't watch Donnie going through this. It's been one day, and he's behaving as though Marie's dead or something. He's actually grieving."

"Leo, Marie's put this separation in place for a reason." April said quietly, sitting up from where she'd been laying against Raphael's chest, "She might not take too kindly to you... Well... _Interfering_."

"I'll respect any opinion she has on the matter, but he just said to me that he hasn't told her about the seriousness of this mating thing he's going through." Leonardo replied, "She isn't aware that the separation would cause him to be like this. I'm just gonna talk to her, that's all."

"Leo..." April's tone was a warning one, but it was clear that Leonardo was going to see Marie anyway.

"If he asks, I'm doing a lone patrol, okay?" Leonardo said, walking towards the door, "I won't be long."

Before anyone could stop him, Leonardo was already turned on his heel and walking out of the lair, which left the others hoping and praying that he wasn't about to do anything that might jeopardise what was left of Donatello and Marie's relationship.

 **~To Be Continued ~**

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	17. Bonding

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thanks for the support with the fic so far. I hope you're enjoying it, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it for the remainder of the story.

 **J:** Thanks for the review! We can only hope it gets better from here :P

 **The Silvernote:** It is a sad situation for them isn't it? Poor babies. Thanks for the review :D

 **Stephanie Phelps:** Thanks for reviewing! It does mean the world to me that people are reviewing so faithfully :D You may find the answers to your questions in this chapter!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Seventeen: Bonding }**

When Leonardo arrived at Marie's place, he looked through her apartment window to see her lounged on her couch with a book in her hands, dressed in black yoga pants and a lilac t-shirt.

He gingerly tapped at the window, not wanting to startle her. Marie looked up, beamed at him, and then hurried to the window to let him in. He felt much better that she was starting to be more at ease with him than she had been before, and he could tell that she was also relieved that she didn't feel as uncomfortable around him too. They shared rather cheerful greetings, and as Leonardo climbed into the apartment and closed the window, Marie immediately set about making them some tea.

"It's good to see you." Marie said sweetly, "How are things at home?"

Leonardo's attention was grabbed quite quickly by her question. He knew exactly what that meant, and while he knew the question was about the whole family, he also knew that she was enquiring indirectly about Donatello, in particular. He rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped towards the kitchen, unsure of exactly how to respond to her.

"Uh... They could be better." He said, watching her warily as her movements stopped for a brief moment.

"Oh, why?" She asked, continuing to make their tea.

"Well... It's Donnie..."

There was no point in going around the houses about the issue. Donatello was the reason that things weren't great at home, and Leonardo knew that Marie was probably already well aware of that fact. She didn't answer him for a few moments, but as she then brought the tea over to the dining table, the two sat down and she looked at him with concern, while her face lost some of its colour. She worried about him so much that the slightest hint of something being wrong with him was enough to set her on edge.

"I know that it's not really my place to interfere in your relationship, Marie, and I haven't come here to tell you what to do, but there are some things that he hasn't told you about his current condition." Leonardo explained, "You know... The whole ' _mating_ ' thing?"

Marie instantly ran a hand through her hair, looking more concerned than before. Leonardo tried to reassure her, and he gingerly took her hand in his own. She was his little sister now, and he would offer her any comfort that he could. She brought her mug of tea closer with her free hand, cradling it as though it would save her from whatever horrid bombshell she thought Leonardo was about to drop on her.

"He's behaving like you've _died_ , Marie." Leonardo said gently, "April went to change his bedsheets today and he wouldn't let her take one of the pillowcases because it had your scent on it. He was staring at your chair at dinner time like you'd never sit in it again. He's shut himself away in his room, pretending to have a headache, but I know he hasn't got one."

The young woman ran her hands through her hair with a look of horror on her face, but Leonardo was quick to make a frankly poor attempt at reassuring her.

"I haven't come here to upset you, okay? He's keeping things from you again, and it's not fair. That's why I came to talk to you. I don't think he's going to get any better if you're being separated for a week at a time, you know?"

"Why doesn't he _tell_ me these things?" Marie asked, resting her head in her hands in despair, "If I knew it would be that bad I would never have asked this of him."

She looked worriedly towards the window, and then at her watch. It was still fairly early. Maybe she could go and see him and talk to him about what he was going through. Maybe the separation was going to be too hard on him. What if he became totally co-dependent? It would make things incredibly difficult if he did. Maybe she could agree to a more suitable arrangement for him if the week-long separations were going to be too hard for him.

"Would it be alright if I came to see him?" She asked, her silver eyes bearing into Leonardo's cerulean blue ones, "Leo, if he's sick, I need to see him."

"I didn't say he was sick, I said he wasn't coping." Leonardo told her quietly.

"He told me that being separated from me can make him feel physically unwell. What if it's the kind of thing like pets have...? You know, when their lifelong companion dies, if they're really attached, sometimes they follow on soon after. What if the bonding thing is like that? What if we're separated for long enough that it makes him really unwell?"

"Marie, I really don't think it works like that." Leonardo murmured, "I don't. I think he's just worked up because you're not there. The thing that'll make him feel physically ill is the stress he feels about not being able to protect you if he isn't with you. That and the whole possessiveness issue."

"I still think I should see him." Marie replied, taking a long drink of her tea as Leonardo took one of his, "I'll get my things. And, don't try to stop me. I know damn well that Donnie doesn't know you're here, so if he asks, I came of my own accord, and you were never here. Okay?"

She saw Leonardo sag with relief. He'd almost wanted to stop her from going there because he knew Donatello would flip if he knew Leonardo had been to see her, so he was grateful that she was willing to cover for him. He finished the rest of his tea as Marie went to change into something smarter, grabbed a jacket, her keys and her beige messenger bag which hung by the door. She then slipped on her more comfortable sneakers and finished the rest of her tea as Leonardo finished his before he left through her window, and she went to meet him in the alleyway below to head to the lair.

* * *

Michelangelo, Raphael, April and Splinter were all amazed to find Marie heading into the lair with Leonardo, and as soon as she walked in, she spoke in a very hushed voice in case Donatello was somehow able to hear from the confines of his room.

"I came here of my own accord." She whispered, pointing to Leonardo, " _He_ was never with me."

The others nodded in agreement, and Michelangelo then offered to take her to see Donatello. He opened up the shutter to the lab, and then knocked gingerly on the shutter to Donatello's room, before sliding it up just a tad so that Marie could head into the dark room. Michelangelo knew it was better just for her to go in, rather for him to be hovering around, but he waited by the door just in case things went awry and Marie needed to leave.

Marie edged closer to Donatello's bed, where he was sleeping with his face buried in the pillow that his girlfriend usually slept on. Gingerly, Marie touched the fabric. It was damp as though he'd been _crying_ into it. Letting out a sad sigh, the young woman took off her bag and sat it beside the bed, before she sat next to Donatello, running her fingers gently over his head in a tender, loving gesture.

He stirred beneath her hand and rolled slightly, opening his eyes to look at whoever had disturbed him from the little bit of sleep he'd managed to get. Even in the small amount of light coming from beneath the shutter, Marie could see how dewy his eyes were and her heart started to ache at the thought of him being so upset without her. She'd missed him terribly herself, but she didn't know he'd been _this_ upset.

"M-Marie?" His voice was thick with sleep, but he shot upward at the sight of his girlfriend sitting beside him, "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Shhh, I'm fine." Marie soothed him, cupping his cheek to reassure him, "I just... I got a little worried about you, so I came over to see how you were."

"Why were you worried about me?" Donatello asked, sitting himself up properly to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"I just got a bad feeling, that's all." Marie replied quietly, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, baby, but I wanted to be sure you were alright."

"I..."

" _Come on, Donnie. Don't lie to me."_ Marie thought, reaching for his hand.

She was looking at him with those big puppy eyes, and as her silver orbs glistened in the darkness, Donatello swallowed hard, fighting the onslaught of pain and emotion that welled up in his throat. She came to him because she was worried about him. He clearly wasn't okay, and she could tell as much, so rather than insult her intelligence, he figured that telling her the truth was the only way that anything would move forward in their relationship. Keeping secrets from her the way he had been just had to stop.

"I'm not okay." He murmured, ducking his head as she went to cup his face again, "I'm not coping without you. I don't think I can do this without you."

Marie listened intently as he awkwardly entwined their fingers, while he then reached over to turn on the lamp beside his bed. They both winced a little at the light, but their eyes soon adjusted, and Donatello put on his glasses so that he could at least see her properly.

"I know why you wanted us to only see each other once a week. I know why you said you didn't want to stay with me or sleep with me." He said quietly, "But, I just can't... I can't give you up like that. I've almost gone crazy today, Marie, I've missed you so much..."

Marie bit her lip and reached for him, taking his face delicately into her hands. She leant forward and kissed him, almost moaning as he reached for her in return and scooped her into his lap. They kissed for what felt like an eternity. Marie had missed him just as much as he'd missed her. She hadn't made the decisions she'd made lightly. She knew the pain it would cause her to suddenly put their relationship on hold the way that she had, and after seeing the effect it had on Donatello, she realised that it had been a pretty big mistake on her part.

"I've missed you too." She told him as they broke apart, biting her lip again as tears threatened to fill her eyes, "I'm sorry, Donnie. I've been so stupid. I've been trying to do the best for us and all I've done is hurt you..."

"It's my own fault. I should've reached out to my dad much sooner, and I shouldn't have been such a _bastard_ to you." Donatello muttered, "I swear to you, I'll work things out the best I can, but please don't make me be without you..."

"I have responsibilities, Donnie. I can't be here with you all the time." Marie said gently, "You know that, right?"

"I know." Donatello replied, "I know, but lately we've been seeing each other so often... I can still come and see you after work... I can spend the night with you, or... Or you can come here, you know? You're my _mate,_ Marie... This a bit more complicated than your average boyfriend-girlfriend relationship."

"I understand that." Marie said with a nod, "Do you remember what I told you at the farmhouse? I said I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

Donatello looked up at her, his eyes glazing over with what Marie could've sworn were tears. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to hug him, tightening her hold on him as he squeezed her to him with a need she'd never known him to have before. She gently cupped his head and kissed it, and in response, he seemed to melt into her arms with what she thought may have been relief.

"If continuing our relationship as we did before is going to help you, then I'm okay with that." Marie told him quietly, "But, you can't continue to keep secrets from any of us, or to behave the way you have been, okay? I want you to carry on talking things through with your dad... I want you to find ways of dealing with your aggression and jealousy too."

"I will, I swear." Donatello breathed, holding onto her tighter, "I promise."

Marie pulled back to look at him, trying to quell the aching that she was feeling in her chest. Depression was a horrible thing to deal with. It could turn the sweetest person into someone totally unrecognisable. Donatello had this look on his face that told Marie he was one wrong word away from a mental breakdown. Donatello wasn't like this when she first spoke to him. He was much more jovial and so optimistic. Now... Well... Depression had pretty much ruined him. But, Marie was determined that as a family, she and the others would work to help him through it the best that they could. They'd get the old Donnie back.

"Don't go home tonight..." Donatello murmured, cupping Marie's face in his gentle fingers before brushing them languidly through her hair, "Stay with me."

Oh, her heart... His eyes were _pleading_ with her, sparkling with hope and emotion as they bore into hers, and Marie knew that since she wasn't working the following day, she had no real reason to leave him. She _did_ need clean clothes, but perhaps one of the boys might go back with her so that she could get some things together. Maybe it would make him feel better for her to put some belongings back in the drawer he'd cleared out for her.

"I'll need some clean clothes." She said quietly, smiling gently at him, "Wanna come back with me to get some?"

"Y-You're really going to stay?" He asked her, his eyes lighting up with what could only be described as joy, "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna stay." Marie replied warmly, "Come on. Get dressed. I need a chaperone."

Donatello hesitated, only for a brief moment, before he was straight out of bed and racing around the room to put his gear on. Once he was ready, Marie picked up her bag and the pair set off towards the exit of the lab. Michelangelo was already gone, so Marie assumed he'd heard the positive conversation and had gone to tell the others. When they emerged from the lab, hand in hand, they were met with their family, who all behaved so nonchalantly that it made Marie feel beyond relieved. They didn't need people making a big fuss about this, and she could tell that Donatello was grateful that they weren't.

"Marie's staying over tonight. We're just gonna go and get some bits from her place." Donatello announced as they stepped past the sitting area.

They were met with various responses, all along the lines of, ' _Okay, see you later_ ' rather than anything else, and for that, the couple were very thankful. They set off walking into the tunnels together with their hands clasped tightly together, and once that they were out of the way of the others, Donatello let her hand go, reached around and pulled her into his side, walking with his arm wrapped around her as he quickly bent down to kiss her head.

"I love you." He said gently, feeling her wrap her arm around his shell the best she could as she then rubbed the backs of her fingers affectionately against it.

"I love you too." Marie replied, smiling up at him, "I can't believe how happy you look right now."

"I _feel_ happy." Donatello answered her quietly, "I've been in agony without you."

It wasn't a lie. He'd suffered terribly without her, and he'd tried to do more research on his mating behaviour to see if there was anything he could do in order to ease the pain he'd been in. Keeping the pillow with Marie's scent on had been helpful, but from what he'd gathered from his research, it may be possible that he would always suffer from any separation that he and Marie experienced. He hoped that his ability to cope would improve over time. He didn't like being needy or feeling as though he would pretty much curl up and die without her, and he wanted to learn how to deal with it in a better way.

"Sweetie, if I'd known..."

"Don't." He cut Marie's apology off by squeezing her closer to him, "Don't. It's my fault for not being wholly honest with you. I need to try and find a better way of coping with this... I'm gonna be a better person, Marie. You deserve better, and I want to be better."

"Donnie, you're not a bad person." Marie said quietly, stopping them in their tracks, "You're trying to deal with some deep issues right now, and you're struggling. That's all. We'll help you get through it, okay? I promise we've all got your back. _I've_ got your back."

"You don't think I'm a bad person?" He asked her, looking into the tunnel as he tried to gather his thoughts before turning back to her again, "Really?"

"Honestly." The eighteen-year-old said, cupping his face, "You're _not_ a bad person."

She then drew him down for a kiss, trying to show him that she truly didn't believe him to be a bad person. She felt his fingers at her waist, cautiously resting against the fabric of her beige jacket before he then eased her forwards. As their lips danced together, he then ran the same fingers into her hair and held her in place so that their foreheads could press together after their kiss.

"You're so wonderful." He told her in a whisper, "You're just amazing."

"Stop it." She whispered back gently, blushing with a small smile on her face, "Come on, honey. The sooner we get my stuff, the sooner we can get settled for the night, okay?"

Donatello grinned at her, and for the first time in quite a while, his smile was bright and warm, with no awkwardness or discomfort present on his face. They took each other's hands again and set off walking into the tunnels towards Marie's apartment.

* * *

After playing video games together, watching a movie, and eating a tonne of snacks, Donatello was now laying in his bed with Marie sprawled on her front across his chest, where she was sleeping peacefully. Her white camisole had ridden up at the back, and Donatello's hand was gently resting against the exposed area, and he was stroking it with his thumb. He really did feel so pleased that they were together again, sharing a bed and in one another's arms. He'd missed holding Marie like this, and having her lying with him in such a way.

She murmured in her sleep and shifted, shuffling closer to him as she blindly groped for his free hand. He gently took her dainty limb in his own and drew it to his lips to kiss it, gently hushing her as she started to huff and moan in her sleep. It wasn't the first time that he'd soothed her through a nightmare during her sleep. They happened quite often, and usually just whispering, ' _Shhh_ ' was enough to calm her.

She seemed to settle again, so Donatello then moved his hand to play with her hair instead, which earned him a very sleepy, very appreciative hum. After a few minutes, however, another pained moan escaped Marie's lips, followed by a series of soft whimpers. It wasn't uncommon for her to have bad nightmares, usually about the day her parents died. Carefully, Donatello turned further onto his side to try to soothe her.

"It's okay..." He whispered, gently nuzzling her with his forehead.

Suddenly, a rumble sounded from deep within his chest, almost like a comforting churr. It was totally involuntary, yet it seemed to quieten Marie, if just for a moment. He pulled her even closer as the sound came again, and he nuzzled her once more, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"Shhh, baby..." His voice was so soft, and even though the pet name was alien to him, it rolled off of his tongue so smoothly, "You're safe. It's alright."

When she still continued to murmur and then began to kick, Donatello's heart started to ache in his chest because she was in distress, and then came the churr again. The rumble was gentle and it was longer this time, almost as though it was acting as a desperate attempt to soothe her. Finally, after several more moments, Marie's tearful, silver eyes slowly opened, and as she came back to reality, she seemed to shift suddenly as though she couldn't believe where she was.

"Donnie?"

"Hey, sweetie..." He said quietly, stroking her hair out of her face, "You have another nightmare?"

Marie closed her eyes and bit her lip as a tear fell down her cheek. Donatello pulled her closer and the churr came once more, which caused Marie to curl even further into his embrace. The sound was so soothing to her that it seemed to relax her much more quickly now that she was awake, and she sniffled once softly before her tears seemed to subside. Her face was buried into his neck, but her breathing was even, and as Donatello rubbed her back, he heard her gently speak to him.

"Never heard that churr before."

"I don't know what it was." Donatello laughed softly, "I was trying to comfort you and it just happened."

Marie sank into his embrace and sighed, reaching up with her left hand to pat his face sleepily.

"That's quite sweet." She murmured, "Thank you for taking care of me."

"I'll always take care of you." He promised, brushing her hair out of her face as she pulled back to look at him, "I love you, Marie."

"I love you too, Donnie." She whispered, gazing into his eyes with a loving smile.

Her gaze dropped towards his lips and then back to his eyes again, and Donatello automatically did the same thing. His eyes were drawn to her mouth, and then back to her eyes again. He slowly leant forward and kissed her lightly, feeling one of her hands slide up to cup the back of his head as she then moved to kiss him in return.

It was a deeper, more intense kiss this time, and Donatello found himself easing her slowly onto her back, and then reaching blindly for the TV remote to turn off the movie that was playing in the background. They pulled back from their kiss to look at each other, and Marie looked as though she was having some sort of internal conflict before she tentatively pulled off the camisole that had been hugging her body so nicely for the past few hours.

Donatello realised that she was initiating something that she'd tried to deny both him and herself for the past few days. Their intimacy had been almost none existent since their return from the farmhouse anyway, and it was clear from the way her breathing had increased and by the way her eyes were blown with lust that she was quite in need of it. She was in need of _him_.

Donatello took off his glasses and placed them on the bedside table before he was met with her lips on his again. His hands instantly went to her pyjama shorts, only to be joined by hers as they urgently tried to remove the clothing from her lower body. Once they were gone, Donatello lifted Marie across slightly so they were away from the edge of his bed, and he then leant down to kiss her again, pressing his hips to hers as he did.

Marie couldn't explain where this rush of need had come from. Maybe it was the fact that she'd missed being with him. Maybe she was feeling their bond the same way he was feeling it. The fact that he'd spontaneously been making sounds to try and soothe her had made her feel so loved it was beyond words. Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it instantly reached for his lower plastron, trying to coax him to release himself into her hand.

He'd missed her so much that he didn't even try to hold back. The only thing he wanted right now was to be entwined with her like they had been at the farmhouse. He wanted the same heated, passionate embrace that had given them both such a thrill in the clearing of that woodland, and as he moved to kiss Marie's neck, a long, deep churr seemed to rumble from within his chest. He then heard the softest sound that sent pulse after pulse of pleasure coursing through him as it was uttered into the soft light of his room.

" _Donnie_..."

She'd _never_ actually spoken his name before when they were together like this. It had always been just simple moans and groans from the two of them when they made love, but to hear her breathe his name with such need and such _love_ was indescribable. He carefully lined himself up against and cautiously pushed forward, causing her head to tip back against the pillows as he fully sheathed himself inside her.

Her silver eyes were almost glowing, and a trembling, slender hand reached towards him to cup his cheek and then his head, desperately trying to pull him down towards her. Donatello wasn't going to deny her anything that she wanted, and he carefully eased her upward so that he could wrap one arm under her, and he set her back against the pillows, pausing for a moment to make sure that she was comfortable.

They kissed lovingly for a brief moment, and Donatello felt her hips move in a slow, lazy movement against his as though to encourage him to start moving. Resting his forehead to hers as he broke their kiss, Donatello looked right into her eyes, and then he started to slowly move, deciding that rushing things would simply ruin the moment. They were bonding. Right as he looked into her eyes, he could see her making the same emotional connection to him as he was to her.

They were _mating_. The same incessant need he'd been feeling was also being experienced in that moment by her. He could _feel_ it, and judging by the half-confused and half-anxious look on her face, she was feeling it too. Her hand came up, still trembling, and rested against his plastron where his heart was as it thrummed wildly beneath the surface. Their eyes never broke contact, and both of them realised that their emotional connection in that moment was growing, more than it ever had before. It felt more intimate than anything they'd ever felt before.

The wonderful feelings that they were experiencing were soon overridden by their bodies reacting to the physical stimulation, and after what felt like hours, they reached a rather intense, but very satisfying climax. Sharing loving kisses and nuzzles, the pair settled down into the comfort of the mattress, and Donatello eased himself from Marie's body to lay by her side.

Almost immediately, Marie was pressed into his arms, and she was embracing him tightly as she bit her lip to try and keep her emotions together. After a few moments of silence, she finally got up the courage to speak as Donatello stroked gentle lines up and down her back.

"Did you feel what I could feel?" She asked him quietly.

"What were you feeling?" He asked her in return, kissing her temple gently.

"Like we were... I don't know... Like our souls _touched_ or something." Marie breathed out, "It was... It felt wonderful but it was also _really_ intimate...Like we..."

She trailed off briefly, but she found her voice again as she carefully moved to look up into her boyfriend's eyes with tears brimming in her own. Donatello knew that she'd realised what had just happened between them. She offered him a rather emotional smile, almost as though she was overjoyed but in disbelief at the same time.

"It's alright." He whispered gently, trying to calm her, "I promise."

"D-Did we just...?" She couldn't finish the sentence, but Donatello nodded to her in response because he knew what she was asking, "Oh, God... I can't..."

"I know." Donatello murmured comfortingly, "I know."

The realisation that she'd just mated with him had hit her quite hard. It had been amazing, but at the same time, it had been so strange and a little frightening. Now, she realised how he must've felt when he realised it had happened from his side. She knew that as a human, she was quite likely to become very attached to someone she considered to be her life partner, but _this_ was something else. She just _knew_ it. In the pits of her stomach, she knew that this was so much more than being in love. It was so much _deeper_ than being in love.

"I love you, Marie." Donatello whispered, brushing a falling tear from her cheek before he took her hand to kiss it, "You're my world. You're my whole existence."

She couldn't speak. Words utterly failed her because she was trying to process what had just transpired between them. It really had felt as though their souls had become entwined, and it had to be the most bizarre thing that Marie had ever felt. She mouthed a very tearful ' _I love you_ ' in return, and with the most loving smile she'd ever seen, Donatello leant down to kiss her, and then he pulled her closer to embrace her.

Through a mixture of fear, joy, excitement and anxiety, Marie cried in Donatello's arms, and all the while he held her lovingly, allowing her to get whatever emotion she felt out of her system before she finally fell asleep, wrapped in his protective embrace.

 **~ To Be Continued ~**

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 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for reading so far!**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	18. Commitment

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ or its characters. I only own my OCs.

 **A/N:** Hello, again! I hope you've enjoyed this fic so far. I do have to break it to you, however, that this is the end of Donatello and Marie's first story. I am working on the sequel as we speak, and I have plenty of plans for it, so that should be out hopefully within the next couple of months. I am self-employed, so I don't always have the time that I'd like to work on my writing or my artwork, however, if you check my Deviantart tomorrow, I will be uploading a Raph/Amelia Valentine's Day drawing, which was requested by **_The Silvernote_**. I will post the title and summary of Donatello's next fic at the bottom of this chapter.

 **The Silvernote:** See, I can treat them nicely :D I'm so glad you enjoyed that chapter and I really hope you enjoy this one. Thanks for consistently reviewing, as always.

 **Stephanie Phelps:** You may find the answers that you seek within... XD Thanks so much for reviewing the whole way through. I can't wait to hear from you again when I publish the sequel!

Happy reading!

* * *

 **~ Salvation ~**

 **{ Chapter Eighteen: Commitment }**

Three months passed after Marie and Donatello became bound to each other.

They saw one another for at least an hour every day, without exception. Marie continued to work at the coffee shop, and Donatello would meet her after her shift to take her home to her apartment, or with him to the lair. Marie had just celebrated her nineteenth birthday in the early days of September and was now starting to feel more like an adult than a teenage girl, and she was finally adjusting to her new life in her apartment where she went to work, paid her bills and spent as much time as possible with her wonderfully loving boyfriend.

She and Donatello were now closer than they'd ever been. Donatello was still having some serious difficulty with his depression, but he'd already started to improve how he handled his aggressive behaviour when it came to Marie. After they'd mated, for a short period of time, his aggression had become worse because of the fact that they'd mated. However, as time passed, they realised that they seemed to know much more about what the other was thinking or feeling than they had previously, so Marie was able to tell when he was about to start with the possessive behaviour, and she knew exactly how to snap him out of it. It was almost like a sixth sense, and it had taken a bit of time to get used to.

Now, Donatello had ways of coping with any potential threats from other males that didn't involve him bearing his teeth or growling at them, which was a great relief to the rest of his family. Not only that, but he was also finding new ways to deal with his depression that would bring his mood up much quicker than before. Marie was so proud of how far he'd come in such a short time, and she was more in love with him than she ever had been before. So, for several months, she'd been saving up what little money she had left after paying her bills, and finally, she'd saved enough to go and get a very special present for Donatello.

Trying to find the right time to present him with the gift had been very difficult, but, as she arrived at the lair on this particular night, she had no idea that the opportunity would soon present itself. It was their date night, and Donatello had come up with an idea for something rather different and romantic that they could do together. He just hoped that she wouldn't be too scared of what he had planned because he really did think it was something that she'd enjoy, once she got past the scary part.

"Why don't we go out tonight?" He said quietly as he and Marie finished their dinner, "I could take you up to the rooftops so you can see what the city looks like at night. It's really beautiful, especially when you're up high."

"How high are we talking?" Marie asked him, setting her fork on her plate quietly.

"Not _Empire State_ high, but... Not far off." Donatello answered, watching her face pale slightly at the thought, "You'll be perfectly safe, I promise. I'd never let you fall, you know that, right?"

Marie looked at him, playing with the necklace he'd given her for her birthday. It did sound quite romantic, and with them being together that way, she realised that it would be the perfect opportunity to present him with the gift she'd bought for him. She just hoped to God that she wouldn't faint or freak out once she saw how high up they were because Marie was not a big fan of heights at all. She let out a small smile and nodded, reaching out to take his hand in her smaller ones.

"Okay." She said with a small laugh, "Alright. When would you like to go?"

"I'll just wash the dishes, and we can get going if you like." Donatello replied, moving to take their plates away to clean up, "I'll be as quick as I can."

"I'll get my things." Marie said, moving out of her seat to go and get her coat.

When they were both ready to leave, they said their goodbyes to his family, and they set off walking through the tunnels hand in hand. Once they got to the surface, Marie allowed Donatello to carry her on his back up a random fire escape onto the roof of a tall building. This one was high enough, but Donatello was quite determined that this was nowhere near high enough, and the higher the buildings they scaled, the more sick Marie started to feel. She'd never been good with heights, and even though Donatello had sworn to her that he wouldn't drop her, she found it hard to believe him.

Finally, they reached one of the city's tallest buildings, and Marie was fighting her will to look down and see how far they'd climbed. Donatello eased her away from the edge and sat her down on the building's roof, and the two of them gazed at the cityscape in front of them with its twinkling lights and looming skyscrapers.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Donatello asked her, putting his arm around her.

"It is." Marie smiled, leaning into him, "Thank you for bringing me here, baby. But, for God's sake, blindfold me or something on the way down. If I look down I'll panic."

"Sure." Donatello laughed softly, kissing her head.

As they sat admiring the landscape, wrapped in each other's arms, Marie turned to look at him with sparkling eyes as she studied his handsome face. He really was so beautiful in her eyes, with his stunning grey-green eyes, his soft features, and his unique skin. His body looked like it had been carved by angels, and she thanked whatever God was out there every day for the fact that she had him in her life. Now that they'd mated, it had made things so different. She was seeing him in a light she'd never seen him in before and she knew that he was the one person that she wanted to be with for the rest of her life. With all this in mind, she swallowed down a sudden onset of nerves and prepared to present the gift to him.

Normally, in a situation like this, she'd be going through the early stages of an anxiety attack, but these days, she rarely had an attack. Her medication, and the meditation and relaxation techniques that Splinter had been teaching her in recent weeks were both being very helpful. She wasn't going to be debilitated by her anxiety this time. She took one last look at the cityscape before her, and then turned back to Donatello, taking a deep breath to brace herself for what she was about to do.

"Donnie, I... I want to tell you something." She said quietly, drawing his attention from the lovely view, "You know that I'm incredibly proud of you, right? You've really fought so hard for the past few months, and I know it's not been easy for you. I want to try and make you happy... That's all I've ever wanted to do... So, I've been saving up some money, and I managed to get something for us that we can share."

Donatello looked confused, but he didn't interrupt her. He could tell that she was nervous about presenting him with whatever it was that she'd bought for them. She reached into her pocket and pulled out two silver rings. One was smaller than the other, and the larger one was on an adjustable chain. Marie reached forward and tenderly cupped the back of her mate's head and pulled him closer to her, bringing their foreheads together.

"We both keep telling each other that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together, right?" She said softly, her eyes welling with tears as Donatello nodded with a rather stunned-looking expression on his face, "I wanna be with you until my last breath, Donnie, and I know that we have other things that we need to focus on before either of us consider anything like marriage, so I got us promise rings instead. If you're prepared to commit to me, I'm prepared to commit to you."

"Y-You got us promise rings?" Donatello asked, closing his eyes as a harsh breath left his lips due to the level emotion he was currently feeling.

"If you don't want this, or you're not ready to commit to me, that's okay. But I just wanted to give you the reassurance that I _am_ in this for the long haul. I'm prepared to give the rest of my life to you because I love you." Marie told him, "I want us to focus on helping you get through your depression right now, but I wanted to make you certain of the fact that you're not alone, and that I'm as much in this relationship as you are."

"God, Marie..." The words were choked out as Donatello swallowed down the lump that was in his throat, "Of course I want this... I _love_ you. If you're prepared to commit to me, I want you to know that I'm prepared to do the same for you."

"I love you too." Marie said softly, pulling back from him to unfasten the chain that his promise ring sat on, "Come here."

He ducked his head so that she could move to put the chain on for him. She fastened it so that it was rather short around his neck because she figured he would want it to be on a short chain for safety reasons. That was typical of Donatello. Practicality and safety were always number one when it came to anything they did. Once it was fastened around his neck, Donatello took the other ring and then his girlfriend's left hand with a tenderness she'd never known before. She pointed to her ring finger, which was the finger she'd had measured for the ring, and he carefully slid the silver jewellery onto her finger where it fitted perfectly.

"I'll wait for an eternity if I have to." Marie whispered, echoing Donatello's words from the emotional email that he'd sent after their near-break up three months before, "I'm going nowhere."

She hurriedly wiped at her eyes, and as the two shared a warm, loving smile, they both then fell into a deep, passionate kiss. Donatello felt a massive weight lift from his heart as he felt the ring resting against his collarbone. This beautiful girl had just given herself to him and had promised herself to him for the rest of her life. No, they weren't engaged, but both of them knew that they could wait for that to happen, and Donatello would ask her properly when he felt ready to propose to her.

The journey home from their outing had been filled with words of love, promises and wishes for a thousand things, but Donatello was just relieved to be completely safe in the knowledge that Marie loved him and was prepared to commit herself to him. When they arrived back at the lair, they received congratulations from Donatello's family for taking the next step in their relationship, and it was quite clear from Raphael's reaction that he was beyond relieved that things were on the up for his little brother and Marie.

For the first time in what felt like years, Donatello actually looked genuinely happy. Gone was the darkness in his eyes and the ever-present frown that had been pretty much permanent for such a long time. Instead, there was life in his eyes again, and he was grinning. He wasn't just giving out those awkward little smiles he'd been making since he was thirteen years old anymore, but he was literally _beaming_ from ear to ear.

Everyone was of the same opinion as Marie and Donatello. This was a new beginning and a fresh start for all of them. They were going to have a good life, a good, healthy, loving relationship, and best of all, Donatello was going to start this new chapter in his life with the woman he loved more than anything else on this earth,

Marie had saved his soul. She'd been his salvation, and no matter what happened, Donatello swore that he would never, _ever_ let her go.

 **~ The End ~**

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 **A/N No.2:** So, there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed this story! Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited and followed this fic. It really does mean everything to me when people take the time to read my work. Like I mentioned before, I'll get to working on Donatello's sequel as soon as I can. It will be titled _**Consternation**_ , and the summary for it is written below:

 _"Donatello faces the inevitable and meets Marie's guardians, Marie is starting to develop an unbelievable desire to become pregnant, and in the midst of the chaos, the brothers gain a new ally who Donatello takes a particular disliking to..."_

I can't wait to see what you guys think of what I have planned for the sequel. I should be publishing within the next couple of months, as I mentioned before, so keep your eyes peeled :D Also, if you haven't seen already, I've uploaded a little one-shot series called _**Growing Pains**_ which features Raphael and Amelia (my first TMNT OC), along with their daughter, Daisy. I'll continue to update that wherever possible.

 **Thanks for sticking with me, guys! You're all awesome!**


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